the point where the small cadre of experts built up over the last twenty 

 years is in danger of being dispersed. There is a danger that the funding 

 authorities, in their quite proper zeal for practical results, will under- 

 estimate and undervalue the still extensive research that must precede 

 reliable operational use. 



At the same time a national research strategy must be guided in selecting 

 priorities for its research effort by the prospects for practical payoff. These 

 prospects have two dimensions: first, the "ripeness" or time to payoff; 

 second, the importance of the payoff. Time to payoff involves primarily 

 scientific judgment. The importance of the payoff in practical terms, 

 however, involves a great variety of considerations regarding costs and 

 benefits of all the alternatives, with weather modification being only one. 



Two recent studies, still in prepublication form, have come to our atten- 

 tion. One is, "Weather Modification in the Public Interest," by R. G. 

 Fleagle, J. A. Crutchfield, R. W. Johnson and M. F. Abdo at the Uni- 

 versity of Washington. The study undertakes to appraise the steps taken 

 so far in developing the capability to modify weather, to identify critical 

 issues which limit development or which influence the ability to direct 

 weather modification in a socially responsible manner, to consider a means 

 for rational systematic examination of weather modification programs, and 

 to develop a policy for its implementation. 



The study is concluded with a set of recommendations to insure the 

 effective development and utilization of the capabilities of weather modi- 

 fication for socially beneficial goals. Among the actions recommended is 

 the designation of NOAA as the lead agency in coordinating Federal 

 weather modification activities and for managing a research program 

 addressed to the critical scientific problems; the passage of legislation 

 designating the Administrator of NOAA as the responsible official for 

 decisions regarding weather modification activities that are directly related 

 to the saving of lives or to other critical aspects of the national welfare; 

 and the establishment of an institute which would conduct objective and 

 thorough studies of policy alternatives and the impacts of weather modifi- 

 cation activities. NACOA made similar recommendations in its first An- 

 nual Report last year. 



The other study is a report by the Panel on Weather and Climate 

 Modification of the Committee on Atmospheric Sciences, NAS/NRC 

 entitled "Weather and Climate Modification: Problems and Progress." 

 Three major goals proposed are: 



• Identification, by the year 1980, of the conditions under which pre- 

 cipitation can be increased, decreased and redistributed in various 

 climatological areas through the addition of artificial ice and conden- 

 sation nuclei. 



• Development in the next decade of technology directed toward miti- 



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