their population status, and that an atlas should be compiled indicating sensi- 

 tive areas containing major bird populations and the seasons at which these 

 populations are highest. Dr. Stanton concluded his speech by stating that it is 

 essential that a uniform national policy be defined on the oiled bird problem 

 not only by the States, but also by the Federal government and industry. 



SESSION VI: FWS CONTINGENCY PLANNING AND RESPONSE TO OIL SPILLS 



Role of Public Affairs during an Oil Spill: John Mattoon 



Mr. Mattoon, the Assistant Director of Public Affairs, Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, Washington, D.C., emphasized that his role was to sup-port regional and 

 local staffs involved in oil spill response, rather than dictate the activities 

 of these groups. He said, "We do not intend to publicize tragedies, but we 

 intend to give the facts to the public because they deserve these facts." 

 He said that oil spills have drawn greater attention to wildlife conservation. 



CONCLUSION 



The 3-day workshop, including the review of the draft contingency plan, 

 has placed the entire problem of wildlife/oil spill response in proper per- 

 spective. It is a very difficult and sensitive problem, and this interchange 

 of ideas has been an effective means of bridging the gaps in communication 

 among agencies involved in this effort. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

 deserves a hearty round of applause for its efforts in sponsoring this con- 

 ference. May we all continue to work together to solve this most perplexing 

 problem. 



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