The NSF asked for letters about Arecibo funding plans, so I sent them this

My draft letter to the NSF. Much less polite than the other one, because they've gone loopy.

Regarding the recent draft Environmental Impact Statement on the future of Arecibo Observatory, while the stated NSF support for the continuing operations at AO is commendable, the details of the DEIS are, to put it mildly, completely mad. The proposed demolition of 26 buildings will not make any financial savings; on the contrary, it would cause irrevocable damage to the Observatory. Removing the buildings necessary for the planetary radar would eliminate the possibility of the Observatory continuing to secure the millions of dollars of NASA funding it currently receives as one of only two facilities in the world capable of Solar System radar studies. Removal of the scientific offices and Visting Scientists Quarters would effectively kill Arecibo as a scientific facility - it will not merely cease to support scientifc staff for their own operations, but fail to provide observing support for external scientists. This is madness. The buildings are not obsolete, they are essential. Consequently any institute wishing to invest in Arecibo would inevitably face the added cost of having to rebuild the lost facilities. This is unnecessary and stupid.

Arecibo is both an iconic, inspirational facility and uniquely scientifically capable. Since starting my PhD 10 years ago, Arecibo data has been integral to my research. I have used data to teach students from high school to graduate level, many of whom have been inspired to pursue careers in science and technology, as well as to produce outreach materials that inform the general public about basic research. No planned or existing facility, including FAST or the SKA, offers Arecibo's unique capabilities, let alone at such a modest level of investment. Furthermore it is by far the most prominent scientific facility in Puerto Rico and local residents are justifiably proud of their historic instrument. For a paltry level of funding it continues to contribute not only to local culture but to global teaching and scientific activities not merely at a world-class level, but with capabilities which are simply impossible at other instruments. There is no prospect of a replacement, let alone superior, instrument in the next few decades, and the current prospect of rendering this magnificent telescope impotent is an absolute absurdity.