Mining and mineral partnerships

At last week's presentation of the legislative and executive (i.e., governor's) budget proposals for AZGS, there was brief but animated discussion on the relative roles of the AZGS and our sister agency in Phoenix, the Dept. of Mines and Mineral Resources (DMMR)in mining and minerals duties. For years, there's been low-volume debate as to whether it's better to have three separate mining/minerals related agencies in state government (including the State Mine Inspector, the regulatory agency) or to merge two or all three of us. Every time it comes up, the conclusion is that each agency has distinct functions and responsibilities that serve our customers well in the present configuration.

The better solution, in my view, is the agencies working together more like a team, leveraging our resources. DMMR Director, Dr. Madan Singh is helping make this cooperation a reality. A couple of examples include DMMR providing office space for a new Phoenix-area branch operation of AZGS, our first-ever office out of Tucson. DMMR and AZGS will jointly have an exhibit at the upcoming Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, showcasing mining and minerals in Arizona. AZGS provided technical materials for the recent DMMR presentation about mining potential in Arizona at the Northwest Miner's Conference in Spokane, the big mining event in the nation this year.

It's a great partnership.