Purpose of GSA PolicyComNet

Public policies dealing with natural resources, geologic hazards, land use, science education, and many other topics require the incorporation of geoscience insights to effectively reach their goals and to avoid unintended deleterious consequences. An important part of the Geological Society of America’s Mission is “promoting the geosciences in the service of humankind and stewardship of the earth”. Therefore, In order to assure that policy makers are aware of the geoscience insights that are vital to the success of their efforts, GSA develops Position Statements which are consensus documents on important types of public policy topics. GSA encourages its members to use them in communications with state, local and regional officials who are developing new policies or who are making some important types of regulatory decisions under of existing policies.

GSA is committed to increasing its member’s communications with public policy officials by helping to make their efforts as effective and convenient as possible. Co-sponsored by GSA’s Geology and Public Policy Committee and GSA’s Division of Geology and Society, Policycomnet is a new online geoscience-based networking tool to assist GSA members in planning communications with public policy officials about how the outcomes of their specific upcoming public policy issues can be improved by consideration of certain geoscience insights. Any member can post a recommendation that suggests making input on a pending policy matter and invite other members to comment. Online dialog can begin about planning and developing strategies including what to present, how to present it and to whom to present it.

Recommended use of this site

  1. When important pending public policy developments arise in your state or local government that could benefit from geoscience input
    • Go to your GSA Section page (at left) and post your information. Those pages are directly connected to the discussion forum (at top) but make it easy to browse the most recent topics for that region.
  2. Network with colleagues to consider ways that you can present your constructive perspectives through email, letters, phone conversations, and/or in person contacts.
  3. If you see a need for a new GSA Position Statement on a specific geoscience-related topic, please send a message to the Chair of the Geology and Public Policy Committee who can be reached from GSA's home page by clicking on “About GSA” and then clicking “The People” menu. Please also contact the GPPC Chair if you see any items in existing statements that you would like to see revised. If you wish to be considered for a GSA expert panel when and if one is established to consider a new topic or when an existing statement is being revised, you may submit your name for that purpose. Your suggestions are welcome and will be considered.
  4. Share your experience in the Community section (at left).
    • Offer tips and suggestions in the Lessons Learned section.
    • We are also looking for your Geoscience Hero Stories in the Success Stories section, where geoscience input helped resolve critical resource, environmental, or land-use issues, and/or saved money or examples of policies where geoscience information could have helped avoid deleterious unintended consequences.
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