>From the CQ Newsroom: NOAA "Space Weather" Service Threatened
The service on which many amateurs depend for reports on ionospheric conditions may have its funding sharply cut or eliminated under two versions of a Congressional spending plan for Fiscal Year 2004. The Space Environment Center, part of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides "space weather" reports on solar and geomagnetic activity that affect the ionosphere, which in turn affects radio propagation. In addition, solar flares and similar events can damage satellites, so advance knowledge can help protect them. Propagation predictions in CQ and other publications depend on these space weather observations. The Space Environment Center is actually operated jointly by NOAA and the Air Force, but its funding is in the NOAA budget. The SEC suffered a 40% budget cut in the current fiscal year, and the House budget proposal for 2004 calls for an additional 40% cut. The Senate version of the bill cuts funding for the SEC altogether, along with the somewhat cynical comment in an accompanying report that "the 'Atmospheric' in NOAA does not extend to the astral. Absolutely no funds are provided for solar observation. Such activities are rightly the bailiwick of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Air Force." We understand from SEC staff that the House Science Committee's Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee will be holding a hearing next week (October 30) on the funding bill, and that letters and comments from the public will be entered into the record. If you are concerned about the possible loss of information gathered and disseminated by the SEC, you may write to the House Committee On Science, Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee, 2320 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. You should direct your comments to the Chairman, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), ask that they be included in the record of the Oct. 30 hearing, and explain in NON-TECHNICAL terms how you benefit from the "space weather" services provided by the SEC, and how you would be adversely affected if those services were further reduced or eliminated. A full list of the members of the Environment, Technology and Standards Subcommittee is below. If the list includes your Representative, and you are inclined to write, you might also send a letter or comment directly to your Representative. House Committee on Science Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards Republican Members Vernon J. Ehlers, Michigan, Chairman Nick Smith, Michigan Gil Gutknecht, Minnesota Judy Biggert, Illinois Wayne Gilchrest, Maryland Timothy Johnson, Illinois Michael Burgess, Texas Democratic Members Mark Udall, Colorado, Ranking Minority Member Brad Miller, North Carolina Lincoln Davis, Tennessee Brian Baird, Washington Jim Matheson, Utah Zoe Lofgren, California Ex-oficio members: Sherwood L. Boehlert, New York, Chairman, House Science Committee Ralph M. Hall, Texas, Ranking Minority Member, House Science Committee To contact any Member of Congress by e-mail, go to < http://www.house.gov > and follow prompts to find contact information for the member you want to reach. 73 de Tomas, NW7US (AAR0JA/AAM0EWA) -- : Propagation Editor, CQ/CQ VHF/Popular Communications Magazines : : http://hfradio.org/ -- http://prop.hfradio.org/ -- Brinnon, WA : : 122.93W 47.67N - CW / SSB / DIGITAL / DX-Hunting / Propagation : : A creator of solutions -- http://accessnow.com/ -- Perl Rules! : : Washington State MARS Emergency Operations Officer - (AAM0EWA) : : WA State Army MARS Webmaster for http://wa.mars.hfradio.org/ : : 10x56526, FISTS 7055, FISTS NW 57, A.R. Lighthouse Society 144 : ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- World Radio TV Handbook 2004 is coming out! Preorder yours now! Only $20.97 through us. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0823059685/hardcoredxcom ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://dallas.hard-core-dx.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://dsl.org/copyleft/dsl.txt