January 10, 1997

Attendance:

Board Members:

• Russell Babcock
• Richard Kennedy
• DeeDee O'Brien
• Jerry Golden
• William Berge

UGS Staff:

• M. Lee Allison
• Werner Haidenthaller
• Kimm Harty
• Cheryl Ostlund
• Grant Willis
• Ailan Lynch
• Kevin McClure
• Carl Ege
• Bob Keefe
• Mike Lowe

Guests:

• Kathleen Clarke, Deputy Director, Department of Natural Resources

Chair Russell Babcock convened the board meeting at 8:30 a.m. and welcomed everyone.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Jerry Golden made the motion to approve the minutes of the October 11, 1996 board meeting. Richard Kennedy seconded the motion and the motion passed unanimously.

INTRODUCTION OF NEW STAFF
Director Lee Allison introduced new staff: Ailan Lynch, secretary, Applied/Mapping; Carl Ege, revenue technician, Bookstore; Bob Keefe, geologist, Geologic Extension Service; and Kevin McClure, geological technician, Economic. Director Allison also introduced Mike Lowe, acting program manager for Environmental Sciences Section; and Kimm Harty, deputy director.

DIRECTOR'S REPORT

1997 Legislative Session
Director Allison informed the board that the 1997 legislative session starts on January 20. UGS isn't advocating any legislation during this session. Senator Craig Taylor is proposing legislation to license geologists through the licensing act for engineers and land surveyors. UGS has suggested the registration of geologists is premature. Director Allison feels the geologic community needs to have input on this issue before any legislation is passed.

Governor's FY98 Budget Request
In our budget request for FY1997/98 submitted to the department, we requested a building block for a GIS computer system. Under budget guidelines from the Governor's office, agencies proposing new programs have to identify a 50 percent funding match. The GIS program was not included in the Governor's final budget.

Construction of New Sample Library
Kimm Harty informed the board that we have awarded a contract to EFT for the design of the new sample library. We were authorized a $700,000 loan from the legislature to build the library. We have determined that we need an additional $300,000 to complete the project. This amount has been included in our budget request for FY1997/98. The library will be constructed in two phases and will be built in the parking lot north of the DNR complex. Ground breaking is scheduled for May. A fund raising program will go into full swing in the spring. Kimm will be looking at the sample library in Austin, Texas, for ideas to include in the UGS library.

Environmental Sciences Program
The Environmental Sciences Program is a merger of the Paleontology and Paleoecology Program and the Water Section of the Applied Program. Mike Lowe is acting manager of the new program. Dave Madsen is the section manager for the Paleoecology section; Dave Gillette is the section manager for the Paleontology section; and Mike Lowe will continue his management of the Water Section.

Future Role of the USGS
Director Allison reported on his meeting with Dr. Gordon Eaton, director the USGS, and his senior staff. He talked with them about possible cooperative programs and hoped there would be an opportunity to work together on some of the high priority issues. Dr. Eaton informed him that the focus of the USGS is changing. The wildlife and biology communities are bigger and more influential than the geology community. The USGS may change their title with their new focus.

Consolidation of Budgets at the Department Level
Director Allison indicated he had been informed that the department executive director, Ted Stewart, is revisiting his plan to consolidate division budget functions at the department level. Director Allison is asking for input from the board on what direction he should go. Kathleen Clarke indicated that this comes from the initial look at consolidating department roles. She indicated that if it is not cost effective, it won't go forward. Chair Babcock indicated the consolidation might have the same effect as with the USGS changes. The geology division may not be looked at as a high priority as the wildlife division. Bill Berge indicated that when a new administration comes, it may affect how budget as looked at. Director Allison indicated that our department is different from others within state governments. The divisions in DNR have their own policies and boards. Ms. Clarke also indicated that some of the DNR divisions are actually working in direct conflict with each other. Director Allison feels that there is distinct difference between budgeting and accounting functions.

Friends of UGS
Director Allison gave a year end report on the use of funds for the Friends of the Utah Geological Survey account. Began year with a balance of $267.23 and ended the year with a balance of $430.24. Expenditures for the year were approximately $156.

DOE Bluebell Project Demonstration Project Update
Director Allison informed the board that the UGS, along with Quinex Energy, the University of Utah, Brigham Young University and other petroleum industry companies, is exploring new methods to improve production of oil. We have been working on a recompleting project of the Michele Ute well in the Bluebell Oil Field. There have been some mechanical problems with this well; however, we have learned a lot from the project. Craig Morgan informed the board that this is a five-year project looking at primary production in the Bluebell field. The first three years of the project was doing research on reservoir characterization in the Bluebell field. There had not been a lot of information available about the oil beds. The last two years will be working in the field on three wells. The number one focus on this first well was to continue to learn. The information obtained will be used on the other wells.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
The Survey is preparing a summary report about the energy and mineral resources within the monument. The report should be ready by next week. It will be distributed to state legislators and state agencies. There is some remaining work that needs to be done for a complete report of what is in the monument. This will help the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration in evaluating what the value is of resources on trust lands within the monument boundaries. UGS is taking the role of providing information to trust lands, the department, governor's office and other government agencies. The National Empowerment Television cable network broadcast a program called Quid Pro Coal which they produced. Director Allison was interviewed for this program. The first half of the program gave information and concerns about the resources within the monument. The second half of the program brought up the conspiracy theory that the president was tying up the Kaiparowits plateau so Indonesia coal would not have competition from Utah coal.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

STATEMAP Proposal Report
Grant Willis, mapping program manager, expressed his appreciation for the board, and especially Bill Berge, for their assistance with the state mapping committee, and with our STATEMAP proposal.

The proposal we submitted to the US Geological Survey was successful. We received a $130,000 grant for our mapping program. The maps for the Escalante and Kanab quadrangles will be GIS-compatible and will incorporate the new monument lands.

Director Allison serves on the national review panel. He informed the board that the panel members told him that our proposal was one of the best that they received. The National Geologic Mapping Program is before congress for re-approval. The new legislation gives specific numbers of what should be funded for the state mapping projects.

Digital Geologic Mapping Strategy
Mr. Willis informed the board that there are three main categories of digital geologic maps - geographic information system (GIS); print-on-demand and readable files. UGS has received many requests for GIS geologic maps, but there are very few maps available in GIS format. GIS maps are the main focus of the mapping program's digital mapping effort. We have a contract for one GIS map this year. Next year we will have seven maps under contract.

ACTION ITEMS

Hellmut Doelling's Recognition
Hellmut has served over 30 years with the UGS. He has worked with every UGS director since the Survey's inception. He was founder of the mapping program and managed it for 12 years. We are having a luncheon in his honor on January 24, in the auditorium on the first floor. The board members are invited to attend. Chairman Babcock made motion to recognize Hellmut for his dedicated service to the UGS. Richard Kennedy seconded. Motion carried.

Board Meeting Schedule
The UGS board meeting schedule for this year is: March 28; June 13 (field trip); September 12, 1997; and January 9, 1998.

Board Appointments
The board terms for Richard Kennedy, Milton Wadsworth, Bill Berge and Cary Smith expire this year. Dr. Wadsworth is not eligible to be reappointed for another term - he has served two terms. Director Allison requested the board members give him recommendations for someone to fill Dr. Wadsworth's position on the board.

Chair Babcock indicated that a chair has been usually elected on an ad hoc basis. After discussion about how the chair and vice chair of the board are selected, Chair Babcock proposed that it be established that at the first board meeting of the year to have a discussion on the chair and vice chair of the board. Richard Kennedy made the motion to adopt Chair Babcock's proposal. He also proposed that Chair Babcock continue to serve as chair and that Jerry Golden serve as vice chair. Mr. Berge seconded, and the motion carried.

Great Basin Symposium on Glacial and Postglacial Drainage
This symposium is being held September 17-20, 1997. The Smithsonian Institution is sponsoring it. The UGS is co-sponsoring it, along with University of Utah and the Utah Museum of Natural History.

GSA and AAPG
Mr. Kennedy asked the director about what the board members could do about helping with the upcoming GSA and AAPG meetings. GSA is October 19-23, 1997 and AAPG is May 17-20, 1998. Director Allison is chair for both conferences. They will both be held in the Salt Palace Convention Center. He indicated that he could use help with the GSA International Program, a new segment to the GSA meeting. We need to help fund the costs to help pay for some of the international surveys to come. The Department of Energy has informally committed between $30-40,000. Help is also needed on the finance and logistics committees. BYU has offered to provide interpreters. Information about the meetings will be on our homepage.

ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Berge made motion to adjourn the board meeting. Jerry Golden seconded and the motion carried. Meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m.