Who Are the Members of the 

 Management Conference? 



Policy Committee 



The Conference members include the EPA Administrator (or his or 

 her designee); representatives of state, local, and foreign govern- 

 ments; and other appropriate interstate or regional agencies and 

 entities. Affected industries, public and private educational institu- 

 tions, and the general public are also represented. Collectively, all 

 participants constitute the Management Conference. 



EPA may act as the lead agency or serve as a cooperating or 

 sponsoring agency for each program. EPA's role is primarily to 

 facilitate and provide scientific and management expertise. The 

 Conference may involve other federal agencies, such as the 

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the 

 Corps of Engineers, the Soil Conservation Service, and the Fish 

 and Wildlife Service. 



Generally, estuary programs have identified a need for a high-level 

 committee composed of federal, state, and local governmental 

 decision makers. This committee (usually called a policy, lead, or 

 sponsoring agencies committee) directs all Management Con- 

 ference activities. Committee members are key officials, or their 

 designees, who are in a position to ensure the resources and 

 funding needed to support the program. They usually are appointed 

 by the EPA Administrator or a state governor. Highly sensitive to 

 both the special interests and needs of constituent groups, they are 

 also well aware of the realities of time and resource constraints that 

 confront environmental management agencies. Therefore, they 

 routinely make decisions after weighing costs, benefits, and public 



Management Conference 



Policy Committee 



Two EPA Regional Administrators 



Two states' environmental 



commissioners 



Figure 2.2 



14 



