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SECTION 3. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 



The effectiveness of existing compact agencies 1n managing the 

 Nation's estuarine resources has been limited. The reasons are 

 basically three. 



First, the predominant concern of most compact agencies 

 in existence has been with a single phase, or at most a 

 few of the multiple phases, of estuarine management. 

 Single purposes that have received special emphasis are 

 the protection of fishery resources and the prevention 

 or control of water pollution. 



Second, concern with estuarine resources in most 

 instances has been only an incidental part of a broader 

 assigned mission to the agency. In other words, estua- 

 rine resources and problems ordinarily have not been 

 the agency's special point of focus. 



Third, the actual role of most compact agencies -- in 

 law or in fact -- has been predominantly one of rendering 

 supporting services to the signatory States. The States, 

 in other words, have continued to make and execute most 

 of the important estuarine management decisions outside 

 of the compact agency's framework and procedures. 



The potential contributions that the compact instrument can make 

 to improved management of estuarine resources are important. 



