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<br />OOJ016 <br /> <br />Colorado citizens and representatives of county governments often <br />claim at permit application hearings that cloud seeding increases the <br />cost of snow reIOOval. In 1981, conmissioners in one --county __passed __a~_ --- <br />resolution declaring opposition to cloud seeding until counties receive <br />restitution for the tax money they spend dealing with its consequences. <br />Earlier, Farhar and Rinkle (1976: 51) had reported that county <br />goverrunents in California were concerned about the possible costs of <br />reIOOving snow that a program to augment snowpack in the Sierra Nevada <br />might produce. <br /> <br />'!he weather M:xiification 1\dvisory Board (1978:130) urges that the <br />problems caused by disparate benefits not iIq:lede the use of weather <br />modification but instead stimulate the identification of adverse impacts <br />and the development of policies to mitigate them. The Colorado <br />Department of Natural Resources weather M:xiification Program, in <br />cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation, is conducting research in <br />this area. '!his 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's Special Comnission on Weather M:xiification concluded that, <br />"The need is great to assess more fully the social implications of <br />weather and climate modification." 'lWelve years later the Weather <br />M:xiification 1\dvisory 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 reIOOval has been mainly speculative. <br />Hurley (1968) points out that hidden costs such' as snow reIOOval 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 goverrunents to spend more money for snow reIOOval. <br /> <br />-3- <br />