Attendance:

• Craig Nelson, Chair
• Robert Robison, Vice Chair
• Deedee O'Brien
• Cary Smith
• William Berge
• Charles Semborski
• Richard Kennedy

• Kimm Harty
• John Kingsley
• Cheryl Ostlund
• David Tabet

• Tom Faddies, School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration
• Sherm Hoskins, Department of Natural Resources
• Steve Allred, Legislative Fiscal Analyst Office

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Legislative Session Review/Wrap Up
Acting Director Harty indicated that the geologist registration bill was tabled for this session. However, the geologic community still wants to pursue it and she received the most recent version yesterday. Chair Nelson indicated that he had talked with Todd Jarvis regarding the bill. Mr. Jarvis asked for Board's recommendations regarding the proposed registration bill. Cary Smith made the motion to request that the geologist bill include the requirement that the state geologist be a permanent member of the proposed registration board. Robert Robison seconded. All Board members were in favor. Mr. Smith made the motion to recommend that additional language in the bill include the provision that the state geologist is or becomes a registered geologist in the state of Utah within one year of appointment. Mr. Robison seconded, and the motion carried unanimously.

Acting Director Harty indicated that SB 55 passed, but doesn't affect the UGS. A 4 percent cost of living adjustment was approved by the legislature, and was only funded 60 percent of general fund money. Market comparability adjustments were made for several employees and were not fully funded. The Legislature cut state agency travel budgets by 10 percent, which amounts to approximately $3,000 for the UGS.

Director's Search Update
Acting Director Harty reported to the Board that the announcement for the director's position has been sent out to two geology journals, AAPG for their job center at their upcoming annual meeting, 50 state geological surveys, and the USGS regional offices. Review of applications will begin June 1, 2000. Sherm Hoskins informed the Board they would like to conduct interviews similarly as last time. Kathleen Clarke would like 3-5 names for the final interviews. Board members discussed the time frame for the selection process and developed the following schedule: June 1-16, DNR Human Resources conducts review of applications; June 16, mail packets of resumes to Board members; June 23, review candidates after Board meeting; July 13-14, conduct interviews (since changed to July 10-11); final review of 3-5 candidates by Kathleen Clarke; final round of interviews week of July 24th; with new director probably on board by September 1st.

Dinosaur Tracks
Acting Director Harty reported that a developer in St. George found some dinosaur footprints in boulders while leveling his property last month. Jim Kirkland, State Paleontologist, has been down to review the site. DNR may be getting some boulders to display in the gardens in front of the DNR building. The site has been getting national attention. To date, there are approximately 175 footprints in the boulders. The officials in the area are looking into the possibility of developing a museum on the site. Unfortunately, some of the fossils have been stolen, and the family is now guarding the site 24 hours a day. Mr. Kirkland will be studying the site further and offering logistical support.

Reactions to UGS Budget Cuts
Acting Director Harty informed the Board that the Governor's office has received a couple of letters regarding the Survey. Although the letters were well intended, unfortunately much of the content of the letters is incorrect. Kathleen Clarke was asked by the Governor's office to respond to the letters. Ms. Harty drafted the response. Mr. Smith and Ms. O'Brien indicated that the letters should be looked at as positive, and that there are supporters for the UGS out there.

Core Drilling Activity in Great Salt Lake and Bear Lake
Ms. Harty reported that there is a partnership of seven entities, one of which is the Energy and Geosciences Institute at the University of Utah, is proposing to do core drilling in the Great Salt Lake and Bear Lake as part of a world-wide paleo-climate history project. The project will also evaluate history of fault movement along the East Great Salt Lake fault. If the project is approved by the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, the group will be using the sample library as a staging area for the project. Fees assessed for the usage of the sample library will be in accordance with the UGS fee schedule.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Ms. Harty and Tom Faddies will be meeting after the Board meeting to discuss future work the Survey could perform for the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration. One project may be inventorying mineral resources on SITLA lands throughout the state.

Mineral Lease Funding
Ms. Harty reminded the Board that they asked for recommendations about whether or not to swap mineral lease funds for general funds. Ms. Harty prepared an information sheet that lists the advantages and disadvantages of swapping or keeping mineral lease funds, which was in the Board packet. Mr. Smith indicated that he had talked with a state representative recently about state funding. He indicated that based on that discussion, the less dependant the Survey is on general funds the better. Mr. Faddies indicated that the mineral funding will last for a few decades, but will end at some point. There are also several entities fighting for that money. Chair Nelson asked the Board members to review the information and be prepared to discuss it again at a future meeting.

DNR Financial Audit
Ms. Harty is in the process of replying to the final audit. The audit identifies significant and general findings, and she has been asked to respond to the significant findings. The audit findings didn't bring out anything that we were not already aware of. Ms. Harty reviewed a few of the significant findings with the Board and what her responses will be. Survey staff have already implemented several of the recommendations outlined in the audit.

Geothermal Energy
David Tabet, Acting Economic Program Manager, reported to the Board that the geothermal program has been dormant for a few years because of the transfer of Bob Blackett to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument planning team. Mr. Blackett's assignment to the monument planning team has concluded and he is now working out of the Cedar City office, and restarting the geothermal program.

The Secretary of the Department of Energy has proposed to have 20 percent of the electrical power in the United States generated by geothermal energy by the year 2020. The DOE is developing grant programs to help facilitate this goal. Mr. Tabet reported that the Survey will be investigating these grant programs as they become available for possible projects for the Survey staff to conduct.

ACTION ITEMS

ANNOUNCEMENTS/MISCELLANEOUS

Walking with Dinosaurs
Ms. Harty informed the Board that on April 16, from 8-11 p.m. on the Discovery Channel, will be a program entitled "Walking with Dinosaurs". The program was originally produced by the BBC, and the Discovery Channel has adapted the program for a U.S. audience. Jim Kirkland will be featured on the program. We have been receiving national press because of Mr. Kirkland's appearance on the program.

Other
Mr. Robison reported to the Board that the BLM has three resource advisory councils in Utah. The RACs advise the BLM on land management issues (i.e., grazing) in Utah. Currently, there are vacant positions on the RACs. There is more information and an application form on the BLM's web page. The deadline to submit an application is this month.

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 12:10 p.m.