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<br />I <br /> <br />hdped establish scientific credibility in weather moditication during its fitlccn years of <br />operation. At its conclusion six states were involved in the program. Since Ihat time, <br />opcraliunal application of weather modification technology has increased significantly while <br />research funding has Jagged. Considering its past history with AMP and its cxpcnisc in <br />atmospheric research. the NAIWMC believes NOAA is the most appropriate federal agency in <br />which 10 house a new coordinated national weather modification research program. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Co.\GRESSIO:\:\L AlnIIORI/.ATIO:\ <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Section 206(b) of the Reclamation States Emergency Drought Relief Act of 1991 W,L. 102~250) <br />specifically authorized the Bureau of Reclamation 10 fund the WDMP. The specific provision is <br />as follows: <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The St'crelary is lIIallori:ed 10 COIldu{'I a Pn'dpitaliof/ MOllagt'ml'n1 Technology Trmufi'r Progro/1/ 10 help <br />alle\'iule prohl('II/.I" clIIl.w,d hy pn'cil'ifufiIJf/ .-ariahilily and droughts in the WesI. a.f purt of a hulut/ad long-Ierm <br />W(llt'1" re.\'OlIrce.f dt'I'('/opmt'l/lal/d "'wllIgemt'lI1 program. I" con.mllafiof/ lI'ith Stale, Trilllll, olld !IN:alwatt'r, <br />hydropoll'('r, waler Ijllalil)' alld im'frt'amjlol1" imt'rt'sl.f, area.f shall !It' selt"o/edfor nmdudillg co.I'I-.f!wredjield <br />.\1l1tJi('.f cmt-.l/wred 011 a 50-50 h,u'j" to mlidalt' (lIId qlltmfi[1' th,' pOlenti,,1 for apl,ropriuI" precipiltJIion <br />malll.lgl'mel/1 technology to (llIgmt.", sfn'wn jloll's. l'alidatt'J It,,'hllologie.f J/ldll he Irtlll.'i)t'rred to Iwn-Ft'deral <br />il/len'.\f.\ jilr OP('Ttllimwl implell/entation_ <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />WDMP research funding first came from Congress in FY 2002 with an allocation of $2 million <br />in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. An additional $2 million was approved to continue <br />the program for FY 2003. Since FY 2003, no additional funding has been appropriated for the <br />program. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Jh:O::'IiT Lt:Glsl.,\'un: [tH)RTS TO .\111110Rlzt: WL\TlIt:R ;\IOIlIt"lC.HIO:"o Rt:SE.-\RCII <br /> <br />On March 3. 2005. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas introduced S. 517. thc "Wealher <br />Modification Research and Technology Transfer AUlhorization Act of 2005." The stated <br />purpose of S. 517 as inlroduced was 10 "dcvelop and implement a comprehensive and <br />coordinated national wealher modification policy and a national cooperative Federal and State <br />program of wcather modification research and development" The bill would establish a <br />Weather Modification Advisory and Research Uoard within Ihe Departmenl ofCol11meree. The <br />primary function of the Board would be to "promote and fund research and development, studies <br />and investigalions with respcct to improved forecast and decision-making technologies for <br />\....cather modificalion operations, as well as to promote assessments and evaluations of the <br />ctlicacy of weather modification." S. 517 would create the Weathcr Modification Research .md <br />Dcvelopment Fund and authorizc $10 Million annually for Fiscal YcaTS 2005 Ihrough 2014, to <br />remain available until expended. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />On June 20, 2005, Congressman Mark Udall of Colorado introduced II.R. 2995. Ihc "Wcather <br />Moditication Research and Technology Transfer AUlhorization Act of 2005," as a companion 10 <br />Senator Hutchison's original bill. Thc bill was referred to the House Committee on Science, of <br />which Congressman Udall is a member. <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />The Senale Comminec on Comnu:rce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Disash:r <br />Prediction and Prevention and the Subcommittee on Science and Space (which was chaired by <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br />I <br />