A further note on the subject after the article appeared (http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/local-news/2012/mar/23/tdmain01-for-battlefield-thefts-man-gets-366-day-t-ar-1787356/ ), I joined the fray in the comments and if you count the likes there are WAY more against the moron than the few first responses would indicate. As a result, one of the commenters mentioned river diving and artifact recovery. I will be meeting with the SHPO tomorrow to discuss this issue. In VA, the SHPO can issue permits (exploratory with no recovery; and others involving recovery) but the VA Marine Resources Commission is also able to issue permits. SHPO has said that folks come into their office wanting them to ID artifacts recovered on a VMRC exploratory permit.

So it is now time to go forth and do battle to see if the VMRC can be brought into line but with the better option being the SHPO would take over the entire underwater permit process for anything other than immediately sunk boats or whatever is in the reasonable purview of VMRC.

Fingers crossed,

Lyle Browning