20 



Senator Kerry. Well, that is what we are talking about. But, on 

 the other hand, we have been told each year, well, we have got a 

 plan, for instance, for the fleet modernization. And yet, the plan 

 has never really been adequate or realistic. I think we have got to 

 do a better job this year of demanding a little reality and of trying 

 to measure what we can and cannot accomplish. 



There is an urgency to getting the administration to think about 

 this, and some form of capital budget supplementary or something. 

 The long-term investment, we all know, pays off in many, many 

 ways. I have to leave at 10:30, to go to a HUD hearing, where we 

 have an example of billions of dollars of property being held by 

 Government. We will not invest a small amount in the process of 

 selling it off and of managing it properly. And so, we wind up pick- 

 ing up billions of dollars of extra cost. 



Here it is the same kind of thing. A little bit reversed, but if we 

 were to invest properly in some of these programs, the return on 

 our fishing catches, the return on the marine biotechnology, the re- 

 turn on other NOAA science programs could wind up saving us bil- 

 lions of dollars down the road or producing billions of dollars in 

 revenues. 



And somewhere along the way, I think we have responsibility for 

 making some judgments about that. 



Senator Dorgan, thank you. I apologize. 



Senator Dorgan. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much. 



I know almost nothing and care almost less than that about 

 shrimp. I guess it is interesting to listen to the subject. 



Senator Lott. You like to eat them; do you not? 



Senator Dorgan. I do, indeed. [Laughter.] 



Let me ask you about another part of your business, and that is 

 weather forecasting and NEXRAD. There is some controversy in 

 our State about NEXRAD. I assume that, Dr. Baker, you are famil- 

 iar with the proposals on using the NEXRAD radar system in our 

 part of the country? 



Dr. Baker. Yes, sir. 



Senator Dorgan. I want to ask you about that, because we have 

 some folks up in northwestern North Dakota that are concerned 

 about the actions of NOAA and where you are headed in that 

 area — so let me pose a couple of questions to you. 



I am told that NEXRAD radars will cover larger areas and will 

 replace older radar sites. Because you can cover larger areas, you 

 will have fewer installations. In North Dakota, they plan to install 

 the NEXRAD radar in three locations, Deering, Mayville, and Bis- 

 marck, ND. 



I used to fly light airplanes, and I come from western North Da- 

 kota, so I know a fair amount about that territory. Williston, ND, 

 is in the northwest. It will be about 105 miles or so from the near- 

 est NEXRAD radar site in Deering, on the east, and 140 miles from 

 the nearest site on the west, at Glascow, MO. 



I am also told that NEXRAD radar, at that range, about 100 

 miles away, has no capability for evaluating weather at 10,000 feet 

 and below. We have a provision in Federal law to prevent degrada- 

 tion of current weather service. I am trying to understand how, 

 with the current plans you have for these NEXRAD installations, 



