News

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

By Chuck Drake, P.G., MEM-0933 
charles.drake@tetratech.com

The New Year began with the Florida Association of Professional Geologists (FAPG) merging with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) to form a stronger organization that will better represent the geologists in Florida .  We have over 400 members in FAPG, a Section of AIPG and represent around 9% of the members of AIPG nationwide. 

The officers of FAPG, a Section of AIPG are working diligently to bring the benefits of AIPG to Florida .  These efforts include updating the AIPG website to have a direct link to Florida, having AIPG send information on meetings and conferences electronically to each member, holding regional meetings more often and in more locations throughout Florida, getting new members, and keeping watch on legislation, rules and ordinances that may impact or be of interest to geologists. 

The FAPG and its’ officers have always done this, and because of the dedication of the past officers, we are doing more and becoming more efficient. 

As of this writing, several FAPG members and I are monitoring a proposed geologic hazards ordinance in Pasco County .  Sam Upchurch, Mike Alfieri and I are trying to work with the citizens review committee in Pasco County to provide our technical input on the proposed ordinance.  In August, we attended the workshop and provided comments at that time.  There were several engineers, developers, and contractors that had similar and sometimes very different opinions, but we all agreed the proposed ordinance needed revisions.

The revised ordinance was supposed to have been discussed on September 26, 2007, but it has been postponed.

Since we currently do not have a lobbyist on retainer to help us monitor activities in Tallahassee , I would like to ask all of you to review the proposed legislation on the Senate and House sides, and if there is anything of interest, please contact one of the FAPG officers.  The FAPG is looking into software that will allow us to better track legislation, but it always helps to have as many sets of eyes as possible reviewing these things.

On another issue, I am working with the Florida Engineering Society (FES) to monitor activities not only with the Pasco County ordinance, but also the actions of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.  The DBPR had issued a cease and desist order for an unlicensed activity.  The person filed a lawsuit against DBPR for violating their right to free speech. 

This person was hired as an expert to testify where they discussed geologic issues.  The DBPR recanted and said that as long as the person did not say they were a PG, then the cease and desist would be lifted.  They also referred “the issues in the case.” 

The FAPG is following this case, and will report to you later. 

Regarding the FES, I am working with them on issues such as the proposed Pasco County ordinance and the DBPR issue, because the results of these activities affect both of our professions. 

In the past 2-3 years, we have worked well with the FES , and by sharing information, we can make both organizations better.

Jamie Hirsch, President-Elect, has volunteered to organize next year’s annual meeting.  He will need to organize a committee to help with this huge effort, so if you would like to help, please e-mail him at jhirsch@waterandair.com.

At the National AIPG level, I am on the executive committee, and many of the issues that we have here in Florida are happening at the National level.  We are working to increase membership, hold conferences, provide more services, etc.  A big issue is also dues and membership levels.  We are developing a new dues structure. 

The Executive Director of AIPG is Bill Siok and he and I have discussed holding the annual AIPG meeting in Florida in 2009.  This will be a monumental effort and I am not sure if we have enough time to do this.  I am going to talk with Bill about this next week at the annual AIPG meeting in Michigan .

If you ever have any questions, please call or e-mail me.  My telephone number is 407.839.3955 and my e-mail is charles.drake@tetratech.com.

The Florida Geological Survey
Celebrates its Centennial Anniversary

2007 marks the 100^th anniversary of the establishment of the Florida Geological Survey.  Currently a Bureau within the Division of Resource Assessment and Management in DEP, the FGS in earlier years had been a part of the Department of Natural Resources, the Board of Conservation, and initially an agency reporting directly to the Governor.  The FGS continues as the oldest state agency functioning under both its original legislative enabling statute and its original title.

The original assignment to the Office of State Geologist was to map soils and shallow near-surface geology to assist with drainage of wetlands to facilitate land development.  Later, the mapping and location of mineral resources was requested to support infrastructure construction and economic development throughout the state.  In recent decades environmental / ecosystem understanding and natural resources conservation has been the emphasis.  Now, aquifer characterization for ground water protection, conservation, development, and karst flow dynamics has dominated staff research.  Springs mapping, geochemistry trend analysis, and swallet (stream to sink direct recharge to the aquifer) mapping are cooperative projects with other DEP programs and other professional groups.

The FGS maintains the only state-wide geoscience sample database with over 18,000 sets of stratigraphic core tests, well cuttings, geophysical wireline logs, and geologist log descriptions of these samples.  They also maintain a geoscience research library available to professional researchers and the public.  The FGS headquarters is currently housed in the Herman Gunter Building (named for the 2^nd State Geologist) on the FSU Campus, with additional staff and equipment also located at the DEP Warehouse.  Two Oil & Gas district field offices are located in Ft. Myers and Jay, Florida.

The head of the State Geological Survey is designated the "State Geologist" by statute.  There have only been five State Geologists heading the FGS throughout its first 100 years, demonstrating the need for stability and continuity within such an agency that maintains geoscience data, inventories and sustains corporate memory to support the many and diverse needs of the public.  Geologic interpretations in the form of publications and inquiry responses serve as the foundation for: mineral resources assessments, geologic and aquifer mapping, aquifer recharge / discharge mapping, geologic hazards assessments (sinkholes, flood-prone / erosion areas, radon, uranium, etc.), land planning / zoning decisions, contamination clean-up, injection & water wells, landfills, ecosystem understanding, and environmental regulations. 

In recognition of their centennial anniversary, this June the FGS hosted the 99th annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists.  The AASG is composed of the fifty one (states and Puerto Rico) State Geologists.

02/21/08