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<br />Colorado citizens and representatives of county governments often <br />claim at permit application hearings that cloud seeding increases the <br />cost of snow removal. In 1981, commissioners in one county passed a <br />resolution declaring opposition to cloud seeding until counties recei ve <br />resti tution for the tax money they spend dealing with its consequences. <br />Earlier, Farhar and Rinkle (1976:51) had reported that county <br />goverrnnents in California were concerned. about the possible costs of <br />removing snow that a program to augment snowpack in the Sierra Nevada <br />might produce. <br /> <br />The Weather lvbdification Advisory Board (1978:130) urges that the <br />problems caused by disparate benefits not iIrpede the use of weather <br />modification but instead stimulate the identification of adverse llnpacts <br />and the development of policies to mitigate them. The Colorado <br />Department of Natural Resources Weather lvbdification Program, in <br />cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, is conducting research in <br />this area. This study is part of that effort. <br /> <br />PRIOR STUDY <br /> <br />OVer the years, several authors have stressed the need for <br />research into the social consequences of weather modification--yet few <br />definitive studies have been conducted. In 1966 the National Science <br />Foundation I s Special Commission on WeathE~r lvbdification concluded that, <br />"The need is great to assess roore fully the social implications of <br />weather and climate modification." 'IWelve years later the Weather <br />~ification Advisory Board (1978:123) stated that, "Study of the <br />societal aspects of weather modification has been grossly underfinanced <br />and essentially unattended." <br /> <br />The investigation of snow removal has been mainly speculative. <br />Hurley (1968) points out that hidden costs such as snow removal may <br />increase the overall costs of seeding to augment the Colorado River. <br />Weisbecker (1974:232) notes that increased snowfall from seeding may <br />cause local governments to spend roore money for snow removal. <br /> <br />-3- <br />