WMOD00060

• Applicant: Aspen - City of
• Sponsor Name: Western Weather Consultants
• Project Name: Central Colorado Project
• Date: 2/1/1977
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: License & Permits

DEPARTMENT DF NATURAL RESOURCES
STATE OF COLORADO

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION OF
WESTERN WEATHER CONSULTANTS FOR A
,PERMIT TO CONDUCT WEATHER MODIFICATiON
OPERATiONS FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE
CITY OF ASPEN AND THE STATE OF COLORADO.

DECISION AND PERMIT

This matter came on for public hearings on February 4 and 5, 1977 before
Harris D. Sherman, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources,
at the auditorium of the Aspen institute, Aspen, Colorado, (February 4) and at
the auditorium of the Lake County High School in Leadville, Colorado (February 5).
The proceedings,were recorded by electronic recording equipment and are available
for review Of tr~nscrlption upon request. '

The Director was assisted at the hearings by the following members of the
Weather Modification Advisory Committee:

Dr. Barbara C. Farhar
Dr. Hugo Ferchau
Dr. Lewis O. Grant.
Dr. Archie M. Kahan
Mr. Guy Mock (February 4 only)
Mr. Theodore R. Schubert (February 5 only)
Mr. Robert K. Taylor

Western Weather Consultants, herein referred to as the Applicant, was
represented by Ms. Sandra Stullar, County Attorney, Pitkin County, at the request
of the City of Aspen.,

, The Applicant called the following witnesses:

Lawrence M. Hjermstad, Durango
Harold E. Owen, Ph.D., Durango
Stacy Standley, Mayor, Aspen
Harold Stalfo Assistant to the City Manager, Aspen

Considerable testimony was offered by persons in attendance of said hearings
in favor and in opposition'to:the application. Others urged proposed conditions
or restrictions to the project.

,Not,ice requirements set forth in LR.S. 197'3 36c20-l03 '(7) >Jere modified and
shortened by the Executive Director pursu'ant to the, authority vested in him by C.R.$'
1973'. 36-20-114 (3). Based on weather and snowpack conditions prOVided by state,
and federal agencies, the Executive Director concluded that a state of drOUGht and
.emergency existed, warranting modif1cation of the normal notice requirements of the
statute. Comprehensive notice within the shortened notice period was required of
the Applicant, as set forth in the Findings of Fact.

FiNDiNGS OF FACT

1.

The Findings of Fact were predicated upon the careful review'and COnS\'deration
of the following:

a. The Application for Permit for Weather Modification Activities, Form WM2,
dated January 28, 1977, with an attached map.

b. Tape ,recording of the hearings conducted in Aspen on February 4, 1977,
and in Leadvi 11 e on February 5, 1977.

c. Comments, written and oral, from citizens expressing an interest in this
application.