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<br />ASPECTS OF PRECIPITATION ENHANCEMENT <br /> <br />37 <br /> <br />These actions of involvement and responsiveness on the part of 5CPP <br />project managers, over a period of years, decreased stakeholder and <br />public concerns. Despite the presence in the area of several factors that <br />could have contributed to the organization of opposition, the project <br />enjoyed 10 years of experimental cloud seeding data collection in an <br />atmosphere of public acceptance. <br /> <br />2.4.5 Decision Processes <br /> <br />Knowledge derived from the social sciE~nce research in precipitation <br />modification has and can help the involved parties communicate effec- <br />tively and design strategies and policies that fairly address public con- <br />cerns, allowing decisions to be made intelligently and responsively. So, <br />sociologically, what are the most important factors affecting decisions to <br />start, continue, or discontinue use of cloud seeding technologies? One <br />recent social study [hereafter, the Colorado State University (CSU) study] <br />analyzed community responses and changes in response to the applica- <br />tion of cloud seeding technology in four areas over a IS-year period <br />(Farhar and Fitzpatrick 1990). Much of the following is based on the <br />findings of the CSU study. These findings should not be regarded as <br />universal but they do offer considerable insight. According to the study's <br />analysis, predominant (albeit nonexclusive) factors that should be con- <br />sidered when deciding about cloud seedinl; are: <br /> <br />. Built-in safeguards <br />. Local economic benefit <br />. Scientific evidence on effects <br />. Cost-effectiveness <br />. Drought conditions <br />. Compensation for disbenefits <br /> <br />Clearly, a responsive approach toward stakeholders and public con- <br />cerns can lead to a positive attitude toward project management (Farhar <br />and Fitzpatrick 1990). Local control consistently has been found to be <br />the preferred form of decision making on cloud seeding (Farhar 1977). <br />Satisfaction that the factors above are taken into account leads to com- <br />munity satisfaction with the decision, whether the project is accepted <br />or not. Public involvement will increase project costs, and "educating <br />the public" does not necessarily lead to acceptance (Farhar and Fitzpa- <br />trick 1990). However, a public involvement program, tailored to the <br />requirements of an individual project, is the approach social scientists <br />recommend to avoid community polarization and enhance the prob- <br />ability of community acceptance. This includes public information pro- <br />grams, citizen advisory committees, mechanisms for listening to <br />constituency opinion, and a compensatory mechanism for disbenefits <br />if these are supported by adequate information. Research that will an- <br />swer questions raised by citizens and organizations may also be ap- <br />