Third Year of Involvement

State Solons Hear AAPG's Message

"Are you concerned about America's National Energy Policy?"

Division of Professional Affairs' Governmental Affairs Committee member Jim Drahovzal and AAPG Treasurer Clint Moore asked this question of U.S. state legislators during the three-day National Conference of State Legislatures meeting in Salt Lake City in late July.

NCSL said about 4,000 attended the conference, including about 1,000 state legislators. Others in attendance included legislative staff members, lobbyists and special interest group representatives.

Drahovzal and Moore offered to those interested a GAC flier that showed what an incredibly good value oil and gas resources are, and how important petroleum geologists are in assuring the world's future supply of oil and gas. They also passed out DPA's brochure on AAPG position papers on key petroleum exploration issues.

"This was the third year that AAPG has been involved in this important mission of letting state legislators know what we as explorationists think are the important energy issues related to petroleum geology," Drahovzal said.

In addition to AAPG, booth sponsors included the American Institute of Professional Geologists, the American Association of State Geologists and the Association of Engineering Geologists.

This year the NCSL Standing Committee on Energy and Electric Utilities failed to approve language that would have specifically encouraged drilling in ANWR. However, the committee's approved statement endorsed overall exploration and enhanced recovery of domestic oil and gas.

"We believe that our continued participation at NCSL, as well as our greater commitment to our broad governmental affairs effort, constitute an important role for AAPG and DPA to play, by effectively representing the interests of our membership as advocates for policies that enhance our profession through petroleum exploration and development worldwide," Moore said.

"To not participate in shaping governmental energy policy at all levels is to turn over our profession's future to governmental leaders that would make public policy without our profession's essential input, knowledge and experience," he added. "Our profession provides a critically important service to our global society, and we all need to be involved in governmental affairs wherever our profession's expertise is needed."