Transfer of ADMMR functions proposed

From the Executive Budget Summary, p24:

AGENCY ELIMINATION
To streamline management of the State’s historical assets, the Executive recommends eliminating the Department of Mines and Mineral Resources (DMMR) and reassigning its two major functions to related agencies.

Centennial Museum. Pursuant to an FY 2011 initiative, the Mines and Minerals Museum is to be enhanced by making it a part of the new Centennial Museum, which will open in early FY 2013. The Centennial Museum will be operated by the Arizona Historical Society (AHS). As part of that initiative, a portion of the funding necessary to operate the Centennial Museum was transferred to AHS from the DMMR to fund a museum curator position and pay for rent expenses. For FY 2012, the Executive recommends transferring from DMMR the balance of $120,000 to operate the Centennial Museum.

Agency Merger. To reform the State’s bifurcated system of mineral promotion and education, the Executive recommends merging the remaining functions and funding of the DMMR into the Arizona Geological Survey. DMMR maintains an extensive repository of historical documents and maps related to mining and minerals in Arizona. The Executive recommends transferring the repository and $100,000 to the Geological Survey for the cataloging and digitizing of those historic records, resulting in convenient online access and display of the material, thus giving the public a more comprehensive understanding of Arizona’s geological character and mineral resources. •