1. ECOLOGY AND 

 NATIONAL POLICY 



As we approach our Nation's third century, we are facing the 

 rethinking and redirection of national goals. There is recognition of the 

 finite nature of resource availability and of the environment's capabil- 

 ity to accommodate continued unlimited growth. There is also 

 increasing awareness of our reliance on a healthy environment, and 

 growing recognition of the profound impact of man's activity on all 

 components of the environment. 



Recognizing the critical importance of "restoring and maintaining 

 environmental quality for the overall welfare and development of 

 man," the Congress of the United States has declared a National 

 Environmental Policy with the purposes "to promote efforts which will 

 prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and 

 stimulate the health and welfare of man, to enrich the understanding 

 of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the 

 nation." Further, the Congress pledged in the policy "to use all 

 practicable means and measures, including financial and technical 

 assistance, in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general 

 welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and 

 nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, 

 economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of 

 Americans." (P.L. 91-190, Section 101a) 



A major thrust of this Act, together with other recent legislation on 

 energy, land use, health, clean air and water pollution, ocean dumping, 

 coastal zones, rare and endangered species, etc., is to insure that ecolog- 

 ical principles and environmental factors enter into decision-making 

 at all levels of government activity. Consequently, ecological and 

 environmental considerations have become an important component 

 of the missions of all Federal agencies and they must necessarily 

 receive adequate consideration by other segments of society. 



Ecology is the body of knowledge and the scientific discipline which 

 underlies resource management and efforts to achieve environmental 

 quality in much the same way that physics underlies engineering. 

 Application of ecological principles is fundamental to achieving 

 national goals in areas such as health, land use planning, energy, 

 continued productivity of renewable resources, and urban growth with 

 environmental quality. Achievement of national environmental goals 

 requires a high level of basic knowledge of ecologiccial processes and 

 understanding of ecological principles, supported by proficient 

 capability to apply this understanding practically. 



Development and maintenance of a high level of ecological under- 

 standing and capability is basic to achieving these national environ- 

 mental goals. 



Consequently, the nation must enhance the ecological knowledge and 

 capabilities through an intensified effort by both the private and public 

 segments of society. 



In the following section, an agenda is proposed for Federal action to 

 develop the necessary ecological capability, to acquire the required 

 ecological information, and to apply it effectively for appropriate 

 Federal programs. 



