APPENDIX VI

The

obtained in the fashion called for in the NHRE Plan.
only impediment to progress which has not been overcome,
according to the Director, has been a lack of sufficient,
suitable meterological situations which produce potential
hail clouds.

5. Page 22

The report states that the Special Commission on Weather Modification had taken the position that "... certain aspects had reached the applied research and operations phase." Current opinion in the scientific community generally is that present weather modification activities are not sufficiently supported by scientific understanding. Sound theory must precede operational application to insure that total consequences are known in advance. It should be noted that RANN/NSF is an agency which addresses itself to selected weather modification problems, and although it has no desire to do what the mission-oriented agencies can do, RANN has capabilities to bridge the gaps which exist between basic research and operational projects.

6. Page 28 The report states that the Secretary of Commerce, commenting on the first annual report of the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA), agreed with the NACOA recommendation for a central focus for weather modification activity in the Federal Government. This agreement did not reflect the position of all Federal agencies concerned. The NSF, for example, endorsed the National Pilot Project and Pilot Project Lead Agency mode as defined in Report 15A of the Interdepartmental Committee for Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS).

8.

[See GAO note, p. 39.]

Pages 34-39 The discussion of issues in NHRE are, in
part, misleading. The heading "Current Problems" is
inappropriate since many items discussed have been resolved
and the project is on schedule. In addition, it is worth
noting that a fundamental mechanism for establishing
coordination in multi-agency programs has been overlooked.
This mechanism is to centralize the flow of funds, that is,
to "put all the money where the problem is." Had NSF been
given the funds to subcontract for essential services to
other agencies for their efforts in NHRE, it is unlikely
that the coordination difficulties would be developed.
Fortunately, the difficulties that did arise were minor
and have been overcome.

APPENDIX VI

[See GAO note, p. 39.]

Finally, we have concluded that the present scheme of National Pilot
Research Projects, with assigned lead agencies, is a sound way in
which to proceed and one which will produce viable alternatives
through weather modification techniques for employment by the mission
agencies of the Government in accomplishing their purposes. This
mode of operation should, of course, be subject to periodic reexam-
ination and appropriate adjustment if warranted by the existing
circumstances.

We appreciate the opportunity to comment on the GAO draft report, and trust that the foregoing comments will be helpful.

Sincerely yours,

H. Guyford Stever
Director

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

September 12, 1973

APPENDIX VII

Mr. Morton E. Henig

Associate Director

General Accounting Office

Manpower and Welfare Division
Washington, D. C. 20548

Dear Mr. Henig:

This is in response to your letter of August 6 requesting
OMB comments on the draft report, "The Need for a National
Weather Modification Research Program." OMB comments are
made in relation to what we perceived to be the primary
GAO findings and conclusions.

I. Main GAO Conclusion: That a national program (and a
lead agency) are needed to pull together the fragmented,
Federally supported weather modification research activities.
This conclusion is based on the GAO investigation and studies
by research groups who, over the last decade, have identified
problems in the weather modification area as:

ICAS

OMB Comment: The point on ineffective coordination of research projects is not supported by fact. Weather modification research is well coordinated by the Interdepartmental Committee on Atmospheric Sciences (ICAS). meets monthly and provides members and observers the opportunity to exchange information in a timely manner. Interdepartmental coordination of weather modification activities has been, in our opinion, achieved through the efforts of ICAS and the member agencies in an exemplary

manner.

516

APPENDIX VII

President Nixon has proposed a reorganization plan to form a Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR). The new Department will consolidate many Federal programs in atmospheric, oceanic and solid earth sciences including elements of weather modification research from Agriculture Forest Service, Commerce NOAA, and Interior Bureau of Reclamation. These agencies conduct weather modification research on precipitation, lightning, hurricanes and other severe storms, the socio-economic, environmental, and legal impact of weather modification and on inadvertent modification of the weather. This reorganization proposal will have many such salutary effects in the scientific areas dealing with air, oceans, and earth. In weather modification, it will be a primary focus for civilian research activities, although we will continue to support efforts by agencies to solve problems in their areas of interest with mission supporting research.

We view weather modification research not as a panacea but as an option, a possible means not as an end. A means in this sense is a technique that may achieve a particular objective. An example is the objective of mitigation of the impact of natural disasters. There are many techniques other than weather modification to attain this objective, for example, improved land use planning, community preparedness and stronger building codes. We believe the mission agencies rather than a single centralized agency should conduct the type of research activities they believe most suited to the national problems faced by them. Consequently, we believe that some consolidation of weather modification is desirable but would not necessarily conclude that all such research should be concentrated or that a lead agency approach for all generic weather modification research is preferable. In our opinion, the DENR proposal will accomplish the appropriate degree of consolidation.

Each weather modification research project is different because of the different nature and technologies of the various projects themselves. OMB has recognized this difference and has instructed particular agencies to concentrate their efforts in specific areas; Interior in precipitation, Commerce in severe storms, principally hurricanes, NSF in hail and so forth. There is inevitably some overlap, for example, in severe storms research between all projects because thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hailstorms have some common characteristics. The projects, however, are significantly different

APPENDIX VII

to proceed under the direction of a single agency. In effect, therefore, there are lead agencies for specific types of weather modification research, related as stated earlier to mission objectives.

[See GAO note, p. 39.]

C.

a national program with goals, objectives,
priorities, and milestones conforming to
identified needs.

a plan to define and reassign, if appropriate,
the responsibilities of all Federal agencies
that provides support or conduct weather
modification research.

a plan to allocate resources to the national
program elements.

OMB Comment: As stated earlier, in response to the main GAO conclusion, we believe a highly centralized program would be less effective than the alternative of permitting mission agencies to evaluate weather modification potentialities as one option in problem solving. Furthermore, the facilities and the technologies required to undertake the research vary greatly among problems and agencies. There does not appear to be sufficient evidence in our opinion to conclude that combining these assets, given the diverse informational