HB 166: "An Act relating to a mining extension division at the University of Alaska."
00HOUSE BILL NO. 166 01 "An Act relating to a mining extension division at the University of Alaska." 02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 * Section 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT. (a) The legislature finds that 04 (1) the mineral industry in the state has grown considerably since 1987, with 05 a corresponding need for vocationally and technically trained personnel; 06 (2) the University of Alaska needs a suitable vocational, technical, and 07 continuing geoscience education program dedicated to training Alaskans to fill the growing 08 number of mineral industry-related skilled and technical positions currently going to workers 09 from other states; 10 (3) elementary and secondary school teachers should have access to continuing 11 education classes that will provide background to teach geoscience at their respective grade 12 levels and thereby allow students to become literate in the subject and, as young adults, make 13 informed decisions regarding the development of our mineral resources and also aid in career 14 selection;
01 (4) the general public has clearly demonstrated a desire to attend courses that 02 will provide intellectual growth in the geosciences so they may make informed decisions 03 regarding development of Alaska's mineral resources, successfully develop small businesses, 04 and increase outdoor recreational opportunities; and 05 (5) an extensive study on implementation of a vocational, technical, and 06 continuing geoscience education program that will serve both rural and metropolitan Alaska 07 communities was completed in 1996. 08 (b) It is the intent of the legislature that 09 (1) the Board of Regents combine the now dormant applied mining technology 10 program into a downsized mining extension division to form a statewide division of mineral 11 exploration, mining, and mining extension; 12 (2) the division described in (1) of this subsection be linked to Alaska 13 Cooperative Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where it will 14 (A) prepare Alaskans for skilled and technical positions in the growing 15 Alaska mineral industry; 16 (B) provide teachers with appropriate geoscience courses; 17 (C) provide geoscience courses that meet the needs of the general 18 public; 19 (D) provide aid to the miner through on-site visitations and a mining 20 information office; and 21 (E) serve no less than three rural communities annually with 60-hour 22 prospecting and mining short courses; 23 (3) funding for the mining extension division be based on funding provided 24 to the mining extension program and the applied mining technology program in 1987 with 25 appropriate inflationary increases to correspond to 1999 values; that faculty will include 26 professors as existed in the two programs in 1987: one full professor, one associate professor, 27 and one instructor with one professor serving a multiple role as director and serving other 28 university requirements, teaching, public service, and practical research; and 29 (4) facilities should include a dedicated classroom and office space currently 30 held by the mining extension program, a dedicated laboratory suitable for safe chemical 31 analysis and assay courses, and access to an existing mineral preparation and crushing
01 laboratory. 02 * Sec. 2. AS 14.40.090 is repealed and reenacted to read: 03 Sec. 14.40.090. Mining extension division. The Board of Regents shall 04 establish a statewide mining extension division for the purpose of providing 05 information and training to miners and prospectors, to secondary and postsecondary 06 teachers, and to the public. The mining extension division must include 07 (1) a mining information office that provides information on the 08 mineral industry, prospecting, and earth science education; 09 (2) training in mining and prospecting, including classroom and 10 correspondence courses 11 (A) designed to help mineral industry workers to improve skills 12 or gain new skills; and 13 (B) intended to assist individuals with mining claims and other 14 mineral related issues, including 15 (i) rock and mineral identification; 16 (ii) basic prospecting; 17 (iii) geochemical prospecting; and 18 (iv) geophysical prospecting; 19 (C) classroom and correspondence courses intended to assist 20 primary and secondary school teachers and to provide geoscience education to 21 the public.