Not to mention the "I saw extra bumps that he didn't see, so I want more money" people. And the "I saw (possibly imagined) bumps that no-one else has seen, not even professionals" people.

I agree that reimbursement for volunteers wouldn't work. What I was really suggesting was creating proper employment opportunities to carry the surveys out professionally, and acknowledging that to do so has tangible "value" for us as a society and for the future. But this administration will never fund heritage properly (I'm not sure that another administration would either though, to be honest).