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SHORT COURSES
All short courses are scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and will be held at the Carlson Center. The courses are open to the public and will provide valuable information to anyone involved with or interested in the minerals industry. Registration required.
SHORT COURSE #1:
Introduction to Geology and Alaska Ore Deposits
Short Course #1 Description:
8:00am-4:00pm
Are you a mining professional or someone who supports mining, exploration, or mineral development? Are you tired of hearing those geologists talk about how “nice that gneiss is”? Or saying things like “may the quartz be with you” or “it’s a hard rock life” and other bad geology puns? Well this short course is for YOU!
This introductory course will teach the very basics of geology - what a mineral is, the basic types of rocks, and provide a general explanation on some of Alaska's most prominent ore bodies. The course is intended for people without a technical or scientific background (no math!) and will consist of an introduction to the basic principals of geology (including some common vocab words) and provide participants with a broad concept of the processes that have endowed Alaska with exceptional metal deposits!
Presenter:
Marisa Acosta, UAF
SHORT COURSE #2:
State Mining Locations 101
Short Course #2 Description:
8:00am-12:00pm
This half-day short course will provide an overview of knowing and understanding the basics of State mining statute and regulations. Learn what is required to initiate a valid mineral location, including claim sketch/maps.
Key concepts will include: A brief introduction to recognizing State mineral estate, and a discussion on recognizing whether there may be title issues on your claims. You’ll also learn the distinctions between traditional, tide and submerged (river bottom claims), and MTRSC locations. We’ll show you how to quickly find legal descriptions for any point on Alaska Mapper, and cover tips and tricks for using Alaska Mapper to produce recordable mining sketch/maps for location notices / certificates. We’ll also talk about claim maintenance; rent, labor, and the dreaded abandonment. We’ll demonstrate how to find, and understand an ADL record in the Land Administration System (LAS)
Presenter:
Aaron Nickols, DNR, Geologist
SHORT COURSE #3:
The Process (and importance) of Emergency Planning for Remote Site Operations
Short Course #3 Description:
1/2 day course: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
When conducting work in remote locations, whether at an established camp, drill-rig site, or conducting air-supported survey and exploration work, public safety resources and assistance may be hours (or even days) away. When planning one’s operations, it is critical that managers prepare for potential emergencies, developing the sound procedures and processes necessary to deal with the sudden evolution of rapidly-evolving, serious circumstances.
Through this course, participants shall be exposed to the foundational concepts that underlie comprehensive emergency planning, with particular emphasis placed upon the following:
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The process of developing an array of scenario-specific response plans, addressing those events most likely to befall a particular operation;
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A review of NIMS/ICS principles, illustrating the importance of effective communication and coordination with governmental regulators;
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The advantages of building strong personnel mechanisms to facilitate the rapid formation and activation of Incident Management Teams within one’s company;
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The utility of developing an operations-specific, Incident Action Plan (IAP) template and having it at-the-ready, facilitating a prompt and organized response as one transitions to ongoing, crisis-management activities.
Presenter:
Daniel Hoffman