AZGS funding bill (SB1184) comes before AZ House Appropriations Committee - 15 March

Phil Pearthree examining columnar basalt, Verde River headwaters.

Tucson. Senate Bill 1184 (SB1184), introduced by Senator Gail Griffin, would provide a state appropriation to fund the AZGS at the same level we were funded as a separate state agency. Obtaining designated state funding is crucial to the ability of the AZGS to fulfill its state-mandated duties, as well as to provide matching resources for many external funding sources, such as the US Geological Survey’s StateMap Program that requires a dollar-for-dollar match and produces four to six geologic maps annually; maps utilized by county, state, and federal decision makers, city and county planning teams, the mining industry, flood management and the emergency management, realtors and contractors, and the Arizona public, among others.

SB1184 passed the Senate by a vote of 28-2 on Feb. 23 and was sent over to the House, where it was assigned to the Land, Agriculture, and Rural Areas Committee. Last week the bill successfully passed the committee by a vote of 7-0. Senator Griffin and Steve Trussell, Executive Director of the Arizona Rock Products Association, gave great testimony on our behalf. The House Appropriations Committee will be the next to consider the bill on Wed. 3/15 at 2pm.

Senate Bill SB 1415, which would permanently transfer the former Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum to the UA as the repurposed Arizona Mining, Mineral and Natural Resources Education Museum, was also passed by the Senate by a vote of 30-0 in late February. It is scheduled to be heard in the Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee next Tuesday 3/14 at 2pm.

We greatly appreciate the support of the geologic community and other stakeholders and friends of the AZGS as we make our way forward in the University of Arizona. In case you are inclined to express your opinion about these bills, you can register your support on-line via the AZ Legislature ‘Request to Speak’ form or contact your legislators.

Phil Pearthree

Director and State Geologist

3/13/2017