V-139 



The coastal States' views on the role of the Federal Government 

 in the management of estuaries was that the Federal -level responsi- 

 bility is to "assist" the State-level estuarine (coastal) programs. 

 In specific terms, this means that the Federal Government should: 



(1) fund (assist) State estuarine programs and activities, 

 when needed; 



(2) conduct (assist) research and demonstration programs 

 and projects on estuarine problems existent in the coastal 

 States, and publish the results; 



(3) develop guidelines, suggested plans, models, or stan- 

 dards that reflect the national estuarine policy so that 

 State plans and programs can be developed in harmony with 

 the national overview; and 



(4) provide (or make available) trained scientific and 

 technical specialists who can give advice, assistance, 

 and counsel to, and cooperate with, the States in 

 developing and managing their estuarine areas. 



Such a general coastal States' consensus of opinion -- State-level 

 estuarine management with Federal "assistance" -- in which the word 

 "assistance" is used in a very wide context, would seem to offer 

 a cooperative partnership arrangement which has been widely promul- 

 gated as the most effective mechanism for estuarine management. 



