[Sailormon6]

The only thing this proposal will do is to restore a policy that has existed since 1991. In 1991, the National Weather Service (NWS) adopted a policy to not provide products or services that were or could be provided by the commercial weather industry. That policy continued in effect until December, 2004, when NOAA (the parent agency of the NWS) repealed it.

My guess is that we recreational sailors were so completely unaffected by the change when it was adopted in 1991 that we didn''t even notice it, and that we likewise didn''t notice anything different when the policy was repealed in December, 2004. The reason why it doesn''t affect us is because it is only intended to affect commercial users of weather information, not recreational sailors.

Since 1991, while this rule was in effect, we recreational sailors have enjoyed free weather services, illustrated with graphics designed to make the information more meaningful.

I think commercial users ought to pay for their weather services. They can afford to pay. It''s part of their business. I don''t think we little recreational guys should have to pay for it. We don''t profit from it financially, and, for most of us, the expense of owning a boat is already something of a burden.

I intend to write to my congressman about this bill, and I thank Gordy for bringing it to our attention, but I don''t think we should oppose the proposal in it''s entirety, because it has features that I fully support. I will tell my congressman that I would strenuously oppose the bill if it will affect or limit or change in any way the free access that recreational users have to the same quality of weather services as are presently provided, but that I would support the bill insofar as it requires commercial users to obtain their weather services from commercial providers.

You''ll all have to decide for yourselves what position you want to take.