Perry Shirley, Assistant Director of the Minerals Department for the Navajo Nation, has been elected for a second, consecutive term as chairman of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Royalty Policy Committee.

Voted unanimously by committee members at its most recent meeting, March 12, in Las Vegas, Shirley will preside over the committee until spring, 2004. Shirley has a long-standing relationship with the Minerals Management Service and its activities as he represents the Navajo Nation’s interests and is very knowledgeable of American Indian issues throughout the nation.

In addition to chairman, the committee elected Colorado Department of Natural Resource’s Ron Cattany as vice-chairman and reelected Hugh Schaefer, a Colorado attorney, as parliamentarian.

The Secretary of the Interior established the RPC as part of its Minerals Management Advisory Board to provide advice on the department's management of federal and Indian mineral leases, revenues and other policies related to mineral resources.

Committee membership includes representatives from states, Indian Tribes and Indian allottee organizations, industry associations, the general public, and other federal agencies.

MMS is the federal agency that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These revenues totaled nearly $10 billion in 2001 and more than $120 billion since the agency was created in 1982.