V-10 



This legislation directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the 

 States and with other Federal agencies, to conduct a detailed inven- 

 tory of the estuaries of the Nation. Such inventory and analyses 

 would be the base for determining appropriate means and measures of 

 preserving or restoring particular areas, including legislation. 



Coordination of the two estuary studies has been accomplished 

 through the Office of Marine Resources, in accordance with Secre- 

 tarial Order Number 2908, approved in October 1968. In order to 

 avoid duplication of effort the Estuarine Protection Act Study will 

 use the Estuarine Inventory being developed by the National Estuarine 

 Pollution Study. 



Of the 312 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System, 78 are 

 coastal. These coastal refuges have a combined shoreline of more 

 than 500 miles and an area of more than 18 million acres, of which 

 682,000 acres are identified as estuarine. As administrator of 

 these areas, the Bureau is a potent factor in the conservation of 

 these estuarine resources. An additional potent factor in the con- 

 servation of estuarine resources is the Bureau's responsibility to 

 review and comment on Corps of Engineers permits as required by the 

 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. 



Bureau of Land Management 



While the Bureau of Land Management is the designated management 

 agency of public domain lands, a sizeable portion of these lands 



