Weather Mod - Controlling Activites Report

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>" ';"", ~.. '. ,~. ~.., ... . .- ,:~~ .. .' . - , . -'".". been relatively inactive, possibly due to a reasonably adequate supply of moisture dur- ing this period. However, should another drought of major proportions occur, undoubt- edly weather control activity would increase and there is consequently a need to retain the regulatory aspects of this state activ- ity. At the same time, the committee be- lieves that the duties of the commission can be placed in an existing state agency, thereby simplifying the administrative struc- ture of state government. The committee therefore recommends that the commission'be abolished and the administration of weather modification activities in this state be placed under the director of the Department of Natural Resources. . :.'.. .~, . On this basis, the Committee concluded that the re- sponsibility for regulating weather modification activities should be left to the office of the Director of the Depart- ment of Natural Resources. " Creation of an advisory committee. The Committee, how- ever, recognizes that the Director may not have the scientific and technical expertise to adequately develop procedural guide- lines, to evaluate license requirements, to evaluate ipdividual qualifications, to review performance reports, to eval~:t:er;"" , proposed weather modification projects, etc. Nor woullFtfe nec- essarily be able to recognize the impact of weather modifica~ tion upon, nor the needs for weather modification by, Vaxiou9 ~blic, private and geographical interests within the'~tate. To assist the Director in these specific areas, the Co~'ttee recommends that he be empowered to appoint an advisoiy~~it- tee composed of members from throughout the state frorn';,:ttt'Tatec! scientific and technical fields, industry, farming or.:~anthi"g, etc. No specific size of advisory board is recommende~bee~se the Committee believed this should be left to the discre~io~ of the Director. - ", .'. Research and commercial proqrams. During the ConltnH;-' tee's hearings the Committee's advisors, scientists, w~the1',' modifiers, and others consistently noted that a disfinetlon",' should be made between so-called research projects --,aa'tli," , pure research (laboratory) and applied research (pilot field projects) -- the commercial weather modification operat~on~. This the Committee agreed should be done. In addition"the Committee suggests that the Director be given enough latitude to adopt flexible requirements for operational controls. for , research oriented programs. ' ":' .'~ ,'1: '.f....,,' >'< of:,. ,,~_c ;t,.. xiv '> . ".'0 -::. .~ " ",. ."'.