This week, the ASA’s Executive Committee plans to clarify certain statements regarding its unification and/or merger with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (“RICS”) that appeared in its February 17, 2010 BV E-Letter (as reported in last week’s BVWire). The statements made by John Barton, current Chair of the ASA BV Committee, “were his personal comments,” the ASA says, and do not necessarily reflect the decisions made by the ASA Board of Governors during its recent midterm meetings (which Barton did not attend). The potential merger with RICS came up during the Board’s long-range strategic planning discussion, which it presented as one possible option to unit the appraisal community. “At no time has there been any formal proposal to merge,” the ASA adds. “The ASA Board of Governors continues to support efforts to unify the appraisal profession and is committed to pursuing that goal” through continuing educational and other cooperative efforts.