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<br />4. Southwest Drought Rain Augmentation Research (FY 1980--$0.3 Million) <br /> <br />This program was initiated in 1978 by an internal fund transfer of <br />$1,000,000 following a directive by Congress to "conduct rain augmentation <br />research in the Southwest in areas where drought patterns are developing." <br />The program is an outgrowth of the Emergency Drought Act of 1977 (P .L. 95-18) <br />through which the Water and Power Resources Service granted $2,121,353 in non- <br />reimbursable funds to six states for supplemental support to state and local <br />operational cloud-seeding projects. <br /> <br />The Southwest Drought research concentrates on helping state decision- <br />makers by developing, in advance, state contingency plans for implementing <br />drought cloud seeding and the necessary background studies to determine when <br />and if particular techniques are likely to be effective. Studies of <br />institutional arrangements and various state regulations and funding <br />procedures are included in the planning. The background studies include <br />climatological research on beneficial seeding opportunities during drought <br />cycles and projections of additional precipitation and resulting economic and <br />social benefit. Through the planning and background studies, knowledge of <br />weather modification and its appropriate application will be extended in the <br />participating state agencies. With these studies and plans available, states <br />should be able to better evaluate the role that weather modification may be <br />able to play in alleviating drought. <br /> <br />5. Societal and Environmental Studies(FY 1980-$0.8 Million) <br /> <br />The WPRS has sponsored and carried out societal and environmental studies <br />since the mid-1960s. Societal aspects have included economic assessments of <br />the impacts of additional precipitation and of the cloud seeding projects <br />themselves, an intensive examination of the legal implications of <br />precipitation enhancement, a number of social surveys in project areas, and <br />the creation of advisory cOlmcilsof citizens from project areas. The public <br />has been involved in all aspects of decisionmaking regarding the various <br />Skywater cloud seeding programs. Environmental investigations have included <br />avalanche forecasting studies, analytical studies of the probable impacts of <br />hypothetical precipitation increases, field studies of mountain and plains <br />ecosystems before and during precipitation enhancement projects, and <br />preparation of several environmental statements for Skywater field projects. <br />Current Skywater efforts include continuing field studies to assess the <br />effects of additional precipitation on various ecosystems, development of <br />environmental monitoring devices and techniques, and continuing public <br />involvement activities and community response studies. <br /> <br />C. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (FY 1980--$3.0 MILLION) <br /> <br />The National Science Foundation (NSF) was directed by Public Law 85-510 <br />of July 1958 to initiate and support a program of study, research, and <br />evaluation in the field or weather modification. Since 1959 the Foundation <br />has supported a program of grants to universities and other research groups <br />which encompasses a full range of theoretical, laboratory, and experimental <br /> <br />- 20 - <br />