A man was sentenced to six months in prison for illegally rockhounding on public land.  The BLM, Bureau of Land Management, has guidelines for collecting rock, gemstones, fossils, meteorites, arrowheads, etc. Collecting for hobby use “reasonable amounts” is allowed.  In this case, the man collected crystals with the express purpose of selling them for profit.  The difference between hobby use and commercial use is  the profit motive.

Know the regulations for collecting on public lands, readily available with a simple internet search.  If you want to sell, for profit, what you collect, you can file a mining claim and collect legally.  Filing a mining claim and meeting the annual requirements is not all that difficult.

Here is the link to the full article online at the Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, Colorado:  http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/man-gets-6-months-for-illegal-mining

Collecting arrowheads – sorry – not allowed.  They are considered artifacts and protected by law.