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<br />!m. <br /> <br />regulation. TIle general assembly further recognizes the part played <br /> <br />to this time by various governmental agencies in the research and <br /> <br />developnent of weather modification, but declares that the perfonnance <br />of weather modification is more properly a conmercial activity to be <br />carried out, whenever practicable, by private contractors. <br /> <br />151-1-3. <br /> <br />l'eclaration of rights. The general assembly hereby <br /> <br />declares that the state of Colorado claims the right to all moisture <br /> <br />suspended in the atmosphere "hich falls or is artificially induced to <br />fall within its borders. Said moisture is hereby declared to be the <br /> <br />I <br />f0 <br />. <br /> <br />property of the people of this state, dedicated to their use subject <br /> <br />to distribution and use in accordance with law. <br /> <br />It is further <br /> <br />declared that the state of Colorado also claims the prior right to <br />increase precipitation by artificial means for use in Colorado. As <br />incident thereto, it shall be the policy of this state to integrate <br />the administration and use of such moisture with the use of surface <br /> <br />and ground ,.rater in such a way as to maximize the beneficial use of <br />all the waters of this state. <br /> <br />151-1-4. Definitions. (1) As used in this article unless the <br /> <br />context othen1ise requires: <br /> <br />(2) "Director" means the executive director of the department of <br /> <br />STAFF COl,~\ENTS <br /> <br />151-1-3. By declaring that any moisture <br />which falls naturally or falls as a result of a <br />weather modification project is the property of <br />the people of the state, the CDmmittee attempts <br />to resolve such questions as: 1) How is any <br />additional water which results from weather modi- <br />fication programs to be administered? 2) Vfuo <br />owns such water? 3) Does the modifier have a <br />priority claim to such water? <br /> <br />The Committee believed that the best solu- <br />tion would be to simply administer 6uch water <br />under existing law. Thus a mDdifier's claim <br />would depend on the priority of appropriation. <br /> <br />151-1-14. Definitional distinctions are <br />made between IIresearch" and "commercial" opera- <br />tions and between a weather modification "li- <br />cense" and a "permit" to cDnduct a weather modi- <br />fication operation. Note also that publications <br />