As part of a sweeping set of new federal regulatory guidelines, the U.S. Congress has created an office within the Department of the Interior to license and register public ownership of rock hammers. The legislation, signed into law on November 31 of last year, established the National Rock Hammer Registry (NRHR) for this purpose. NRHR Director, Aprile J. Ester, stated that, starting January 1, the public will be required to register all currently-owned and newly purchased rock hammers by completing a form obtainable from gem and mineral dealers. A completed form must include an inked imprint of the hammer's "striking surface" and profile of the hammer's head.
The next time you visit your local gem and mineral dealer, be sure to ask for a copy of the federal rock hammer registration form.
[Ed. Note: Yes, this article is an April Fool's joke.]
Copyright © 1996 by Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society, Inc.
The preceding article was originally published in the April 1996 issue of Lithosphere, the official bulletin of the Fallbrook [California] Gem and Mineral Society, Inc; Richard Busch (Editor).
Permission to reproduce and distribute this material, in
whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, is hereby granted
provided the sense or meaning of the material is not changed and
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Last updated: 18 September 2002