Locality Searches

Certain agencies, including the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and other federal and state entities, require that a locality data search be conducted prior to any construction project involving ground-disturbing activities can begin. This search is intended to help prevent the unintentional destruction of known paleontological localities and the resources they contain.

To initiate a search, the project manager – or a designated representative – must submit a Locality Search Request Form to the Collection Mangers.

Locality Search Request Form

Conditions
  • The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History Paleontology Section reserves the right to deny any requests at its discretion.
  • The Paleontology Section requires a minimum of two weeks to complete the locality search.
  • The requestor will receive basic locality data for any known localities found in or near the project area. This basic locality data includes (where available): locality number, locality name, geographic location (state, county), geological age (period, epoch, age), biocron (biostratigraphy zone), stratigraphy (group, formation, member), the number of specimens found, and the types of taxa discovered (e.g., eggshell, invertebrate, plant, trace, or vertebrate). Requestors may request additional detailed locality information only if they possess a CDOT, federal, or state permit for their project area.
  • The Paleontology Section charges a fee to the requestor’s company for each locality search conducted. This fee is appliable regardless of whether localities are identified within the project area. The fee is $50 per project needing a locality search and $50 per hour after the first hour. Invoices will accompany the locality search results.