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to maintain the expertise which is capable of fully understanding 

 all of the ramifications of local actions upon the larger estuarine 

 and coastal zone. The result is that all too often local govern- 

 ments have succumbed to strong economic and political pressure to 

 proceed with poorly planned or unwise development of estuarine and 

 coastal resources, or to permit such development by those in the 

 nongovernmental sector. In succumbing to these pressures, local 

 governments unfortunately have contributed much to the impairment 

 of the Nation's estuarine and coastal resources, 



CONCLUSIONS 



Although the record of local governments in managing estuarine and 

 coastal zone resources on the whole is subject to criticism, the 

 Nation's effort to improve management of these resources should 

 retain a significant role for local governments in the new national 

 program. The reasons include the already-mentioned "on scene" 

 relationship and its effect on the ability of local government to 

 sense and respond to unique conditions, and also its ability to 

 mobilize the support and cooperation of local civic and private 

 interests. But they also include the value which the American 

 people attach to self-government, to decentralization of govern- 

 mental authority and responsibility, and to local experimentation 

 and innovation in developing new national programs. 



In brief, therefore, the role of local government in the National 



