New York State
Council of Professional
Geologists
Volume 4, No. 4
September/October
1999
by William Kelly, President, NYSCPG
The fall of the year is an active time for the NYSCPG. Two important matters concern us at this time. The first of these deals with the opposition to the language of our bill. Although the legislature is out-of-session, we are busily preparing for the 2000 legislative session. It is necessary to establish our position early in the season if we are to forward our proposed licensure bill. Although in the legislature convenes until the budget is completed, in fact licensure bills tend to be considered in the first six to eight weeks of the session and not thereafter. Therefore, our ducks must be in proper rows prior to January.
Discussions with the New York State Society of Professional Engineers have narrowed our differences to one point - the exact method by which geologists will achieve "partnership" status in engineering firms which now offer geological services as part of said firms' suite of business practices. Larger differences exist between the positions of the NYSCPG and the Consulting Engineers Council of New York State (CEC). In a rather dramatic departure from their stated position of one year ago, the CEC now demands that nothing contained in the proposed geologists' licensure law "preclude licensed professional engineer(s) from practicing the profession of geology without obtaining an additional license in geology". Meetings are slated this fall with the Executive Secretary and other representatives of the CEC to discuss this matter. The NYSCPG board will finalize the language of the bill within the next six weeks. Watch the web site. The finalized bill will be posted there.
At the request Senator LaValle, chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee, one or more round-table discussions will be held, chaired by members of his staff, where all interested parties will be present. The pros and cons of the NYSCPG legislation, as well as the points of view of others, will be aired at that time, their merits to be considered by LaValle's legal council. We expect this meeting to be held later this fall.
The second item of concern is membership renewals and financial support for our organization. Like it or not, money is the life blood of any movement to achieve professional licensure. We are told by the legislature that it typically takes five or more years to achieve passage of a licensure bill here in New York. We are perhaps halfway through that period. Each year NYSCPG must raise funds to support our lobbyist and lawyers, publish newsletters, and sustain the organization. Download the membership renewal form. Use it! Copy it, give it to your colleagues and urge that they join us. If we are to gain "professional" status, it must be an effort by all concerned geologists. Nobody is going to do this for us. You can help by immediately joining NYSCPG.
A great way to help the NYSCPG
and have some fun is to support the raffle organized by the Buffalo Association
of Professional Geologists. Thanks to
the hard work and generosity of the folks out west, some really nifty prizes
are offered in a drawing to be held during Earth Science Week, Oct 10-16 this
year. Details of the raffle are elsewhere
in this newsletter and ALL proceeds go to support our licensure battle. Kudos to the members of BAPG. Tickets will
be available in central and eastern New York from the Central New York
Association of Professional Geologists and the Hudson-Mohawk Professional
Geologists' Association. Keep
the faith.
FUNDRAISING
The Western New York contingent of the NYSCPG is raising funds for the council by holding a raffle. Five lucky winners will be drawn for one of five prizes. Prizes include:
a one night stay for two at a Toronto Hotel including two tickets to the Ontario Science Museum; a “Diamond Package” at Salvatore’s Hotel (includes one night stay for two in a Jacuzzi room and dinner for two); a color television; a portable stereo; and $ 50.00 in cash.
The cost of these prizes was generously donated to the Council by:
SJB Services; Severn Trent Laboratories, Inc.; MAXIM Technologies,
Inc.; and Friend Laboratory, Inc.
A special thanks goes to Chris Prucha
of Geomatrix for handling production of the tickets and soliciting vender
contributions for prizes. Tickets will
be offered at two Western NY geological events: The October 1, 2, and 3 1999
NYSGA meeting in Fredonia, New York; and The second annual Earth Science Day
exhibition at the Penn Dixie Quarry on October 16, 1999. Tickets cost $2.00 each or three for $5.00.
The drawing for winners will take
place on October 16, 1999 during the Earth Science Day Celebration. For more information please contact Jerry
Bastedo at 716-627-3481.
BAPG CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
OCT 1-3 NYS Geological Association Annual Meeting: SUNY Fredonia. Phone 716-673-3840; e-mail: Gordon C. Baird, baird@fredonia.edu; Website: www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/as/geo/nysga.html
OCT 13 BAPG Symposium “A Discussion of International Water Quality, Land Use, and Development along Lake Erie and the Niagara River: Past, Present and Future.”
OCT 16 Annual Earth Science Day
Celebration from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Penn Dixie Paleontological and Outdoor Education
Center in Hamburg. This event will be
coordinated by the Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists and the
Hamburg Natural History Society. Interested in participating or need
information please contact Rick Watt (BAPG) at (716) 684-8060 or Jerry Bastedo
(HNHS) at (716) 627-3481.
CNYAPG CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Next meetings are scheduled for Sept. 9 and Oct 14 with
topics to be announced. Visit their
web site for further information.
HMPGA
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Visit
their web site for further information.
October 20,
1999
Hydrogeology
Vincent W.
Uhl
November 17,
1999
A Probable
Buried Impact Crater Beneath Panther Mountain, Catskill
Mountains,
New York, and its Hydrocarbon Potential.
Yngvar W.
Isachsen, NYS Geological Survey.
December 15,
1999
Christmas
Party
January 19,
2000
Geology and
Hydrogeologic Conditions Associated with the Retsof Mine Failure
Sam Gowan,
Alpha Geoscience
February 16,
2000
Natural Gas
in New York - Current Events
John Martin,
NYSERDA & Kathy Sanford, NYSDEC
March 15,
2000
Garnets: The
Key to the History of the Earth
Frank Spear,
RPI
Platinum: |
Gold: |
Silver: |
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NYSCPG MEMBERSHIP - Renewals are Due
Fall has arrived, the
summer vacations are behind us, and thoughts are returning to "where are
we again with the geologist's licensure bill?" Memberships are important to moving this effort along. When you begin to fill out your renewal form
for 2000, make a copy of the blank form and get your colleagues and employees
to take out a membership. The NYSCPG
Officers and Board of Directors can not express enough how important membership
in the NYSCPG is necessary to help pass the geologist's licensure bill. We need to encourage every geologist to
become a member and support licensing.
The NYSCPG membership,
as of September 13, 1999, has 229 Individual; 17 Prospector; 13 Corporate and 1
student. Consider up-grading your
membership to the Prospector level and encourage your corporation to take out a
Corporate membership. All levels of
membership help support the geologist's licensure bill which requires funds to
keep our lobbyist, legal counsel, newsletter, and other operating expenses in
the black. No donations are too small
and donors will be listed in the bi-monthly newsletter. Help increase the membership roles by
recruiting one new member before the next newsletter!! Download
the membership form here. Please mail your
completed membership forms to: Jerry Bastedo, VHB, Inc, S-5215 Orchard Avenue,
Hamburg, New York 14075.