Notice of Plan for Collection of Meteorites Issued Under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978, as Amended

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On March 31, 2003, the National Science Foundation (NSF) issued a final rule that authorized the collection of meteorites in Antarctica for scientific purposes only. These regulations implement Article 7 of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty and are issued pursuant to Section 6 of the Antarctic Conservation Act, as amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996. The regulations require appropriate collection, handling, and curation of Antarctic meteorites to preserve their scientific value. Antarctic expeditions planning to collect meteorites in Antarctica are required to submit their plans for the collection, handling, and curation of the meteorites to the National Science Foundation. NSF is providing notice of availability of a meteorite collection plan and inviting comments on the plan.