NATURA1 RESOURCES i\D THI I WlRown \ I 



991 



environmental and atmospheric considerations. These discussions pro- 

 ceeded during the time the President was considering the establishment 

 of a Cabinet Department of Natural Resources. The Merchant Marine 

 and Fisheries Committee was strongly advocating an independent 

 oceans agency. 



An informal agreement was made with the Merchant Marine 

 Committee that they would look at the oceans side of NOAA, and the 

 Brown subcommittee would handle the atmospheric and general en- 

 vironmental issues. It was apparent that the problems involved a wide- 

 variety of agencies, which were inhibited from free expression by 

 administration policy, and it was evident that the questions could not 

 be resolved overnight. David D. Clement ably assisted in the extensive 

 staff work on the NOAA organic act. 



workshops: an innovative concept 



During the summer Brown's staff held extensive discussions with 

 representatives of NOAA, the National Advisory Committee on 

 Oceans and Atmosphere, the American Meteorological Society and the 

 National Academy of Sciences. Out of these discussions and with the 

 collaboration of the Senate Commerce Committee the staff developed 

 an innovative approach: two "workshops," at which free-wheeling 

 opportunities were provided to thrash out how best to reach certain 

 goals. Brown enthusiastically endorsed this approach, scheduling 

 working sessions at which people got a chance to present their pro- 

 fessional points of view rather than parroting administration policy. 



In October 1978 the first two-day workshop was held at the offices 

 of the American Meteorological Society in Boston, where 35 rep- 

 resentatives of 9 Federal agencies came together for frank, open forum 

 discussions and recommendations. Brown outlined the objective of the 

 first workshop: 



Perhaps the most significant issue whiLh should be addressed, in light of current 

 Federal resource limitations and of the growth of the private meteorologists' sector, 

 is what the respective roles of the Federal government and the private sector should 

 be in providing weather services. Another important issue is what NOAA's responsi- 

 bilities for atmospheric research should be versus those of other Federal agencies such 

 as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy and the Environmental 

 Protection Agency. 



The Boston workshop also discussed the relationship which should 

 exist between NOAA and the atmospheric sciences academic com- 

 munity. Several discussion leaders in the field, eminent university 

 scholars in their own right, presented position papers to help focus the 

 discussions. The second workshop was held in mid-November at the 

 National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. There 

 only a limited number of Federal agencies were represented, primarily 



