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The
Association of American State Geologists is undertaking a national
assessment of the economic benefits of geological mapping. Part of
that assessment is a survey of working geologists across all subdisciplines of our science, asking them about
their uses of geological maps and associated products, and the value
that those products provide.
I know
you’re probably surveyed out now, but this one is very important. If
you wish to participate in this survey, please click on this link –
https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5772757/e216571551c0.
It directs
you to an online questionnaire, focusing on your use/potential use of
geological maps and associated reports, and the value of that use to
your business or activity.
This
assessment is the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind
ever conducted for the discipline of geology. It comes at a time when
(1)
significant improvements to infrastructure have long been touted at
the Federal, State, and local levels, and now more than ever are
required for optimum economic recovery,
(2) the
uncertainty of climate change looms large on the horizon with a real
threat to that infrastructure and human livelihood in many areas,
(3)
understanding geologic hazards are increasingly important due to
population growth and existing/expanding infrastructure, and
(4) mineral (especially critical minerals) and energy
resource assessments are crucial for technological advancements and
economic diversification/recovery.
Infrastructure
includes the fundamental facilities and systems that provide us with
the services that we need for a healthy economy. It therefore
includes an understanding of our State’s and Nation’s geology as the
“host” of considerable infrastructure development, as well as insight
into natural resource and geologic hazard evaluations. However, the
ease, efficiency, and costs at which these issues can be addressed,
and longer-termed resource sustainability, are directly linked to
their natural setting. This applies to
(1) mineral
or water resource development,
(2)
construction or improvement of new highways, bridges, sidewalks, and
foundations, (3) environmental protection,
(4)
distribution systems for water and sewer,
(5) oil and
gas pipelines,
(6) energy
development, and
(7) improvements to recreational areas.
In all
cases, an understanding of the interaction of human activity with
both the land surface and the subsurface is essential to minimize
potential impacts of natural hazards and maximize resource potential,
environmental protection, and associated economic benefits.
Please fill
out the online questionnaire to the best of your ability. The larger
the response rate, the more significant are the results, and its
eventual outcome for helping to justify this most basic of geologic
endeavors. This is also an opportunity for you to tell AIPG of your
needs and where you think we should focus activities to best serve
you. Please answer as many questions as possible on the survey. If
you should receive more than one request to fill out this survey, you
only need to do so once. If you cannot fill out the questionnaire in
one sitting, a button in the upper right, titled “Save and continue
later”, asks for your email address, and will send you a message with
a link directing you to where you left off.
Please
complete the online survey by November
2, 2020. Thank you.
FYI, if
you’d like to see two statewide examples of cost and benefit studies
of geological mapping, see the links below. However, this national
survey will be more comprehensive than these previous reports.
Nevada
- http://data.nbmg.unr.edu/public/freedownloads/sp/sp038.zip
Kentucky
- http://library.isgs.illinois.edu/Pubs/pdfs/specialreports/sp-03.pdf
Thank you,
Aaron W.
Johnson
Executive Director
American Institute of Professional Geologists
American
Institute of Professional Geologists
National
Headquarters
1333
W. 120th Ave., Suite 211, Westminster, Colorado 80234
(303)
412-6205 fax (303) 253-9220
aipg@aipg.org | www.aipg.org
57 Years Serving
our Members and the Geosciences
Upcoming AIPG
Conferences!
- October 23-26, 2021 - National Conference –
Sacramento, CA
- Fall 2022 - National Conference –
Marquette, MI
Go to www.aipg.org for
more information!
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