McKenzie County Farmer - Latest News

M.K. French
Farmer Staff Writer

“Wrong is wrong. Right is right. And this is wrong.” Travis Bateman, a Watford City resident and trained weather spotter, isn’t mincing words when it comes to his opposition to McKenzie County’s cloud seeding program. Following informational meetings held on February 26, where Bateman voiced his concerns, the future of the program hangs in the balance as county commissioners consider its fate.

The Case for Cloud Seeding
Proponents of cloud seeding offered information to residents at the recent meetings. They argue that it offers significant benefits, particularly for agricultural regions prone to drought and hail. Darin Langerud, director of the Atmospheric Resource Division of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, emphasizes the program’s potential to increase precipitation and reduce hail damage.

“Studies show the benefits of cloud seeding compared to non-seeded or control areas, including increased rainfall, reduced crop hail losses and higher wheat yields,” Langerud stated, addressing the program’s effectiveness. He also addresses the safety of the program. Langerud said “the materials used in cloud seeding are safe, and because silver iodide is so effective at what it does, only minuscule amounts need to be used.”

Supporters also point to the program’s long-term history and the economic benefits it provides. According to information provided by the North Dakota state government, “Crop insurance analysis over a 13-year period found 45 percent lower crop-hail losses in the seeded counties versus an immediately adjacent upwind control area.”

Furthermore, economic studies have shown very high benefit to cost ratios relating to the agricultural production increase. They also point out that the program provides educational opportunities for aviation and meteorology students. Those in favor of cloud seeding argue that it is a valuable tool for mitigating the impacts of adverse weather conditions and supporting the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers.

Bateman Spearheads Effort to End Cloud Seeding
Both at the informational meetings and in a recent interview with The Farmer, Watford City resident Travis Bateman expressed his concerns about the program and desire to see it end in McKenzie County. Bateman, who has lived in the area since 2012, argues that the program, touted as a tool to increase precipitation, is nothing more than a “money train” for those involved. “It’s been nothing short of a leech of money sent to people in Bismarck, companies in Fargo, and to UND,” he claims. “It’s a money train for everyone connected to it, and there is a great deal more to that which I think would be very disturbing to our local community.”

Among his chief concerns are funding, the program’s experimental nature, and the alleged financial connections between various entities. “Weather modification is literally an experimental program,” Bateman states. “That bothers me most. We have far greater priorities here to be funding.” He further criticizes the program’s long-term status as an experiment, saying, “Fifty-four years for an experimental program, where us, our lands, our farmers, and their crops are the guinea pigs? No thank you!”

At the February 26 meetings, Bateman raised his observations about the program’s effectiveness. “My points are basic,” he explains. “It does not work. It does not do what is claimed. And it doesn’t help our area, especially our farmers.” He describes witnessing storms dissipate after cloud seeding planes appear, leaving the area with little to no precipitation. “My main point for this program being unnecessary is the simple observation that can be made; a storm approaches, rain curtain and all. A Weather modification plane appears and seeds the cloud, and within a short amount of time the storm literally disintegrates or splits/breaks up and the area receives no precipitation.”

Bateman draws attention to the work of a Berthold farmer who exposed the program’s alleged financial irregularities in Ward County. “The master at exposing this and the regime behind it for the dollars involved is a farmer from Berthold,” he says, highlighting the success of efforts to end the program in other counties. “Simply put: follow the money.”

He also expresses concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the program. “There’s no transparency. It’s all smoke and mirrors,” he asserts. “When challenged with what we on the ground observe repeatedly, they respond but stop short in telling us citizens that we are stupid.” He criticizes the fact that the program has not been put to a public vote since 1978. “It became a closed decision in that manner and not one of true public inclusion,” he says.

Bateman suggests a ten-year moratorium on the program to study its effects. “Pause or end it for ten years minimum and study the data over that timeframe to gather positives/negatives and the rest without cloud seeding being done,” he proposes. “That is something they have never done.” He reports that many residents share his frustrations. “Anger, frustration, worry,” he describes the community’s response. “There’s the frustration from the ag-community and also the everyday residents that don’t want this and don’t want to be a part of an experiment that they never consented to.”

As for the McKenzie County commissioners, Bateman hopes they will prioritize the concerns of their constituents. “I want them to end this county’s participation and never allow it back in, personally,” he says. “After fifty-four years, where’s the return on investment? There’s none locally. Over $2 million from our county has been given to the [cloud seeding programs]. I think we can all identify much more important or beneficial projects and needs to spend funds on around here than an annual experiment in our skies.”

The fate of the Cloud Seeding program in McKenzie County will be discussed at upcoming commission board meetings. Local residents who want to know more about cloud seeding programs in the state are encouraged to visit the state’s Atmospheric Resource Board’s website at https://www.swc.nd.gov/arb.

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