There is a primary, operational demand for forecasting ecological Finding C 

 effects of technological and sociological developments; i.e., 

 determining environmental impact. Predictive ecological evaluation of 

 environmental effects applied during the earliest planning stages of 

 technological developments, resource utilization, environmental 

 modification, human settlements, and other human activities can 

 avoid or minimize detrimental ecosystem' alteration and project 

 delays. This would enable more economical and effective implementa- 

 tion of the spirit of Title 1 of NEPA, with less stress on agencies and 

 their resources. 



Environmental impact statements can be greatly improved and facil- 

 itated by including quantitative evaluation of ecological impacts; i.e., 

 effects on the present ecosystem, more quantitative prediction of eco- 

 system change, ecological costs and benefits, post-impact evaluation of 

 predicted impacts, and identification of problems amenable to solution 

 by additional ecological research. 



5. Revise agency guidelines for environmental impact Reconnnnendations 

 assessment in accordance viith CEQ guidelines (Federal 



Register, Aug. 2, 1973) to require that consideration of 

 and research on environmental effects of projects 

 commence at the outset in planning technological 

 developments, resource utilization, environmental 

 modification, construction of human settlements, and 

 other human activities. 



6. Prepare environmental impact statements with high 

 priority consideration to: 



a. Maximum practicable use of quantitative 

 analysis, prediction, and evaluation of ecolog- 

 ical impacts; 



b. Post-impact evaluation of predicted impacts and 

 unpredicted consequences on a selective basis; 

 and 



c. Identification and initiation of research of 

 problems amenable to solution by additional 

 ecological research. 



Ecological research requires two kinds of protected research areas. Finding D 

 which are the workbenches of ecologists. One type includes 

 undisturbed natural areas for use as baselines or benchmarks, as 

 experimental controls, and as a bank for irreplaceable ecologic and 

 genetic diversity. Adequate representation of all natural ecosystems 

 needs to be in such a system. The second type of protected research area 

 includes sites that are reliably managed for manipulative ecological 

 processes following known human impact. The two types of areas are 

 complementary, and both are urgently required for scientific investiga- 

 tion of human impact on ecosystems. 



567-043 O - 75 - 3 



