III-4 



The remaining elements are contained in the roles and recommended 

 responsibilities to be assumed at the various levels of government. 

 For most activities required, there is a continuous series of con- 

 current Federal, State, and local jurisdictions. This is present now 

 under current law, and it must be assumed that the situation will 

 continue to exist, as many functions must be carried out at each 

 level of government. There is also that essential element of public 

 awareness, the non-governmental public and private interests, whose 

 support of a national program through political and social processes 

 can bring much progress towards better management. 



It must be kept in mind that the importance of the estuarine and 

 coastal areas is not limited to the coastal States and communities. 

 The economic, social, and environmental use and well-being of the 

 estuarine and coastal zones of the Nation are of vital interest to 

 the inland States as well. It is for these reasons that there must be 

 a national program that gives adequate consideration to this breadth 

 of interest and which embraces well-defined roles for the Federal, 

 State, and local levels of government as well as for public and 

 private interests. 



Any recommended national policy must reflect the fact that there is 

 strong national interest in the effective management and protection 

 of the estuarine and coastal zone for the following reasons: 



