Bubble Boy
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I thought this attached letter might be of interest to the rest of you OFWF's. It was writen by Brian Prince.....
Open letter to: Mr. Alan Bauder - Chairman Ad-Hoc Committee on Underwater Resources NY State
From: Save Ontario Shipwrecks (SOS)
Mr. Bauder,
Your name was given to me as the best place to start regarding strengthening and especially enforcing the laws regarding the removal to culturally significant underwater artifacts. In speaking with various NY state persons, I hear that NY laws are very inadequate to protect heritage resources. In the case below, we have a self incriminating publicly documented case that seems to qualify only for a private slap on the wrist. I urge you to use every tactic at your disposal to make an example of this case that is basically a public slap in all our faces by this group of renegade divers.
This case is the one about the removal of an anchor (I now hear more than one in the Clayton area and one in Ogdensburg as well) from the St. Lawrence River last summer. Below are links to the website where the persons are self proclaiming removal of artifacts with photos and also putting down NY State Divers Association (NYSDA) members for disapproval. Some question was raised as to whether these pictures are of the anchor in question... This point is moot since they are publicly displaying and have documented the illegal removal of marine artifacts. See the links below for the full disclosure of illegal activity.
When and how it was done with photos: http://www.northeastaquanauts.com/salvage.htm
Story of Aquanauts vs. NYSDA: http://www.northeastaquanauts.com/dive_report.htm
Photos of other artifacts removed: http://66.155.20.216/gallery1.htm
Since both (NY and Ontario) share the River, activities like this continue due to lack of education, enforcement and publicity of enforcement on both sides. The proclaimed reasons for removal (salvage permit, not on a shipwreck, commercial diver present) are seriously unjustified as these items are all government property regardless of location and taken without license. For those that might not know, all bottom lands are protected and owned (including abandoned items) by the government in NY and Ontario. Artifacts on or off a heritage site are NOT to be removed without conservation plans under license. Clearly this was not documented as the case. A valid salvage permit as they proclaim is usually site specific for a more recent specific loss.
This person, group of people and accomplices (like the marina & charter boat) should be charged to the full extent of the law since they did not have a valid permit. In our opinion, the dive boat, photo equipment, dive equipment, forklift confiscated and the website & club shut down. The anchors should be returned to the water by the USGC where they can most importantly be preserved and secondly appreciated by all in the aquatic environment. These people and films should be banned from publicly spreading the word that this is a condoned activity. They should be required to publicly speak on why they should NOT do this as part of their restitution. The whole fiasco should be widely publicized in news articles in US and Canada and by National Geographic since they are named as taking part (under Sept 28 10am section).
These people say they are going to spread the word and show the film of the recovery at Beneath the Sea on what a great place the St. Lawrence is for treasure hunters. It is long past due that the ever decreasing number of divers learn the laws and the costs of breaking them. They are stealing from the rest of us for their own satisfaction. Prosecution is difficult in most cases, but with such a blatant admission of undertaking and photographic evidence publicly stated... the case is clearly made. A letter saying "put it back" as was said to have been sent is simply not enough action and is paramount to a private slap on the wrist which serves no educational purpose which is the main ingredient needed. If this is not properly actioned and publicized, then the NY Government is proclaiming open season on all artifacts large and small on the US side of the St. Lawrence River which gives complete access to the Ontario side.
Part of the problem might be the fact that there is only an Ad-hoc Committee for underwater resources in NY. While this is a good start, more needs to be done to promote an appreciation for taking care of our non-renewable heritage resources. Here in Ontario, we have an avocational group of divers promoting marine heritage preservation working with government. NY state can start up their own chapter of SOS just like Ohio did. This would go a long way to helping educating divers and non-divers alike that our valuable non-renewable marine heritage is worth protecting.
Please update all of us on your actions to date, proposed actions and the out come ASAP so that we may help to spread the word. All concerned divers who visit these sites and charter operators who depend on these heritage resources await your response to this outrage.
Respectfully,
Brian Prince
Save Ontario Shipwrecks
Board Member-at-Large
Open letter to: Mr. Alan Bauder - Chairman Ad-Hoc Committee on Underwater Resources NY State
From: Save Ontario Shipwrecks (SOS)
Mr. Bauder,
Your name was given to me as the best place to start regarding strengthening and especially enforcing the laws regarding the removal to culturally significant underwater artifacts. In speaking with various NY state persons, I hear that NY laws are very inadequate to protect heritage resources. In the case below, we have a self incriminating publicly documented case that seems to qualify only for a private slap on the wrist. I urge you to use every tactic at your disposal to make an example of this case that is basically a public slap in all our faces by this group of renegade divers.
This case is the one about the removal of an anchor (I now hear more than one in the Clayton area and one in Ogdensburg as well) from the St. Lawrence River last summer. Below are links to the website where the persons are self proclaiming removal of artifacts with photos and also putting down NY State Divers Association (NYSDA) members for disapproval. Some question was raised as to whether these pictures are of the anchor in question... This point is moot since they are publicly displaying and have documented the illegal removal of marine artifacts. See the links below for the full disclosure of illegal activity.
When and how it was done with photos: http://www.northeastaquanauts.com/salvage.htm
Story of Aquanauts vs. NYSDA: http://www.northeastaquanauts.com/dive_report.htm
Photos of other artifacts removed: http://66.155.20.216/gallery1.htm
Since both (NY and Ontario) share the River, activities like this continue due to lack of education, enforcement and publicity of enforcement on both sides. The proclaimed reasons for removal (salvage permit, not on a shipwreck, commercial diver present) are seriously unjustified as these items are all government property regardless of location and taken without license. For those that might not know, all bottom lands are protected and owned (including abandoned items) by the government in NY and Ontario. Artifacts on or off a heritage site are NOT to be removed without conservation plans under license. Clearly this was not documented as the case. A valid salvage permit as they proclaim is usually site specific for a more recent specific loss.
This person, group of people and accomplices (like the marina & charter boat) should be charged to the full extent of the law since they did not have a valid permit. In our opinion, the dive boat, photo equipment, dive equipment, forklift confiscated and the website & club shut down. The anchors should be returned to the water by the USGC where they can most importantly be preserved and secondly appreciated by all in the aquatic environment. These people and films should be banned from publicly spreading the word that this is a condoned activity. They should be required to publicly speak on why they should NOT do this as part of their restitution. The whole fiasco should be widely publicized in news articles in US and Canada and by National Geographic since they are named as taking part (under Sept 28 10am section).
These people say they are going to spread the word and show the film of the recovery at Beneath the Sea on what a great place the St. Lawrence is for treasure hunters. It is long past due that the ever decreasing number of divers learn the laws and the costs of breaking them. They are stealing from the rest of us for their own satisfaction. Prosecution is difficult in most cases, but with such a blatant admission of undertaking and photographic evidence publicly stated... the case is clearly made. A letter saying "put it back" as was said to have been sent is simply not enough action and is paramount to a private slap on the wrist which serves no educational purpose which is the main ingredient needed. If this is not properly actioned and publicized, then the NY Government is proclaiming open season on all artifacts large and small on the US side of the St. Lawrence River which gives complete access to the Ontario side.
Part of the problem might be the fact that there is only an Ad-hoc Committee for underwater resources in NY. While this is a good start, more needs to be done to promote an appreciation for taking care of our non-renewable heritage resources. Here in Ontario, we have an avocational group of divers promoting marine heritage preservation working with government. NY state can start up their own chapter of SOS just like Ohio did. This would go a long way to helping educating divers and non-divers alike that our valuable non-renewable marine heritage is worth protecting.
Please update all of us on your actions to date, proposed actions and the out come ASAP so that we may help to spread the word. All concerned divers who visit these sites and charter operators who depend on these heritage resources await your response to this outrage.
Respectfully,
Brian Prince
Save Ontario Shipwrecks
Board Member-at-Large
Very appropriate!
