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Idaho Geological Survey seeks permanent database manager after years of grant funding
Summary
The Idaho Geological Survey (IGS) asked the committee for additional general fund support to convert a grant-funded database manager to permanent status and described core data preservation work and public data access.
Kevin Campbell, Legislative Services Office analyst, presented the Idaho Geological Survey's budget and said the survey is the state's lead agency for geologic and mineral data. "Idaho code identifies the Idaho Geologic Survey as the lead state agency for the collection, interpretation, and dissemination of geologic and mineral data for Idaho," Campbell said.
Claudio Berti, the Idaho State Geologist and director of IGS, told the committee the survey has 12.47 authorized FTP and that the agency compiles geologic and mineral information into specialized information systems. Berti said IGS consistently spends all of its appropriations and that personnel make up the largest share of its costs.
IGS requested additional general fund support to maintain and expand a database manager position that has historically been grant-funded. Berti said the work of the position is fundamental to the agency and that grant funding can be precarious. He described how the position has been supported with abandoned-mine-lands funds through the Department of Lands and said those funds could disappear; converting the position to a state-funded line would protect the agency's long-term data management capability and preserve matching capacity that, according to Berti, yields a federal 2-to-1 match for certain grants.
Berti described IGS operations that include purchasing research-grade microscopes and a seismometer to support the Idaho Seismic Network. He also discussed the agency's data-preservation activities and said Idaho lacks a physical core repository for drill cores and other physical samples; he recommended studying repository costs and benefits and said other states have such facilities.
Why it matters: Berti told the committee the database manager position is foundational to IGS's mission to maintain public geologic data, to support mining and resource assessment and to provide data that underpins infrastructure and water-resource planning.
Follow-up: Berti said he would provide additional information about grant matches and funding pathways if the committee requests it. No formal vote was taken in the hearing.
