AAPG/DPA GAC

Government Affairs Committee (GAC) Moving Ahead…

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The Government Affairs Committee (GAC) is an important and long-term part of the Division of Professional Affairs’ activities. The GAC’s program has been varied and has consisted of

1. preparing of AAPG position papers on crucial issues (for approval by the Executive Committee),
2. working to encourage AAPG members to communicate with Congress,
3. preparing and providing testimony to Congress,
4. developing and carrying out informational meetings on critical energy issues for Congressional staff, and
5. maintaining a booth at the National Conference of State Legislators. 

Over recent years, the GAC membership has overlapped that of the Public Outreach Committee in part, so as to better coordinate activities of both and prevent duplication.  Several projects were completed, including the Climate Change Chart and the publication of Energy and Environment: A Partnership that Works (the publication is a highly effective colorful volume that demonstrates the actual environmental impacts of oil and gas development in using modern technology in this country and elsewhere). The volume was an outgrowth of the second GAC-sponsored and organized Washington, D. C. energy and environment conference.

During the last three years, the AAPG has progressed toward developing a Washington, D. C. office, providing for the education of Congress and the Executive Branch Federal agencies about petroleum geology, energy development and exploration, and America’s energy future.  That is now in-place with Don Juckett as the Director of AAPG’s Washington, DC office.  As we move forward with full-time Capitol City representation, the committee chairman and vice-chairman anticipate greater activity by GAC members and growth in the committee numbers.

In the interest of providing the best possible support for AAPG’s input into the decision making process within the Washington Beltway and to back-up the efforts of Don Juckett the GAC is updating of position papers.  Also, we are re-invigorating the GAC Action Alert email system.  These alerts will allow AAPG DPA members to make comments on issues Don identifies that would benefit from credible AAPG input.

The first GAC Action Alert 2006-1 asks numerous DPA members to comment on the Mineral Management Service’s (MMS) Offshore Leasing proposal in their proposed 5-year plan. This is an exciting opportunity, and strong response to it and others like it will ultimately result in AAPG’s increased credibility within both the Executive Branch and Congress. If you are not on the action alert list and wish to be included, or want to become a member of GAC, please contact Carl Smith, GAC Chairman using the email address:

In addition we hope to be able to provide on-site experience to members by organizing an annual D. C. visit during Congressional Visitation Day under the aegis of the GAC. And, an important part of the GAC effort will be to provide our D.C. representative with sufficient advanced materials and back-up to enable him to truly represent the interests of E&P scientists.

Communicating with legislators outside the beltway is another very important part of the GAC mission.  In this regard, the AAPG, through various members including those in DPA GAC participated in the 2005 National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). AAPG teamed with the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the American Geological Institute (AGI), and the Association of Engineering Geologists (AEG) (collectively called the American Geology Consortium) in a display booth as part of the exhibition.  The six organizations rented and shared 10’ X 20’ booth on a corner of the convention floor.  More than an estimated 6,000 state legislators and their staff were in attendance at this meeting. The 2006 meeting of the NCSL will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, August 15-18. AAPG has been again invited to be part of the American Geology Consortium in a booth at the meeting and planning is underway.   

Finally, communication with AAPG members worldwide is crucial to success of AAPG, and for addressing energy issues.  The future would be well served if AAPG would continue to address the future of global energy supply.  This should include participation, when feasible and acceptable in the beltway decision-making process. The GAC is poised to do its part in support of AAPG’s broad geologically based vision and initiatives.