Abstract
Open-access telescopes of all apertures are needed to operate a competitive
and efficient national science program. While larger facilities contribute
light-gathering power and angular resolution, smaller ones dominate for field
of view, time-resolution, and especially, total available observing time,
thereby enabling our entire, diversely-expert community. Smaller aperture
telescopes therefore play a critical and indispensable role in advancing
science. Thus, the divestment of NSF support for modest-aperture (1 - 4 m)
public telescopes poses a serious threat to U.S. scientific leadership, which
is compounded by the unknown consequences of the shift from observations driven
by individual investigators to survey-driven science. Given the much higher
cost efficiency and dramatic science returns for investments in modest aperture
telescopes, it is hard to justify funding only the most expensive facilities.
We therefore urge the Astro2020 panel to explicitly make the case for modest
aperture facilities, and to recommend enhancing this funding stream to support
and grow this critical component of the OIR System. Further study is urgently
needed to prioritize the numerous exciting potential capabilities of smaller
facilities,and to establish sustainable, long-term planning for the System.