File Photo Roger Neshem speaks to the Ward County Commission during a July 2017 meeting that drew a number of county residents to talk about weather modification.

Ward County residents are organizing on both sides of a ballot measure to renew the county’s weather modification program.

On the June 9 vote-by-mail primary ballot, a ‘Yes’ vote will continue the cloud-seeding program, and a ‘No’ vote will end the county’s participation in the program.

A group of Ward County residents announced Thursday a formal effort to oppose the renewal of the county’s weather modification program.

“Weather modification has been attempted for over 50 years. Only five out of a total 3,242 counties in the nation currently attempt to suppress hail. Ward County is one of them,” said Roger Neshem, Berthold, chairman of North Dakotans Against Weather Modification, in a news release. “Multiple scientific bodies have stated that warm cloud seeding is conducted in Ward County, has not been scientifically proven to accomplish anything. However, it does cost taxpayers a lot of money.”

Friends of Ward County Weather Modification has formed to support the ballot measure. Gail Yuly, Minot, said the group wants to give voters accurate information about the program and help them understand the benefits of the program in hail suppression.

Yuly and Neshem are both agricultural producers and members of the Ward County Weather Modification Board.

Other members of North Dakotans Against Weather Modification include Robert Schaefer, Travis Zablotney, Tanner Vix, JoAnne Rademacher, Marlo Stromberg, Joel Newman and Rory Collins. Tanner Vix also has served on the county weather modification board.

Ward County has had an average hail loss rate of 3.79% going back to 1916, Neshem said. That number fluctuates yearly, but the long-term average is the same as it was before the county started conducting hail suppression, he said.

“Surrounding counties who do not conduct hail suppression, such as Bottineau, Renville and McHenry, have much lower hail loss/damage rates than Ward County, which is contrary to what we have always been told about this program,” Neshem said. “If the weather modification program were to continue in Ward County, we would spend almost $2 million of taxpayer money over the next five years instead of putting that money to much needed infrastructure like schools or roads.”

Yuly said the cost of the program is minimal per acre.

The State Atmospheric Resource Board listed the cost of the program last year at 40 cents a planted acre and cited studies finding a 5% to 10% rainfall increase from weather modification. A North Dakota State University study found a 5% to 10% precipitation enhancement provides an extra $9 to $18 per planted acre. Reduction in projected hail loss from weather modification is estimated at another $6.9 million a year statewide.

Friends of Ward County Weather Modification will be conducting activities in the coming week to reach voters with information about cloud seeding.

North Dakotans Against Weather Modification invites voters to view its Facebook page at facebook.com/NDAgainstWeatherMod/ and its website at ndagainstweathermod.com.