VI-199 



being planned and constructed as Individual entitles without regard 

 to the entire circulation scheme of the estuary. A great deal of 

 effort must be applied to seek new ideas and even bold ideas for the 

 management of estuaries as total ecosystems. 



The Multiple Use Philosophy 



As a general guide, the multiple use philosophy must prevail for future 

 planning of estuarine use. Maximum consideration must be given to 

 both public and private enterprise and values in these coastal areas 

 with particular efforts to accommodate all compatible uses practicable. 

 In general, the exploitation of a single resource or a use that is 

 contrary to, or irreversibly precludes other desirable uses, cannot 

 be permitted. The achievement of a desirable balance a.nong uses was 

 a principal purpose of the Congress in commissioning the National 

 Estuarine Pollution Study. However, it needs to be stressed that 

 public recreation areas, wildlife sanctuaries, national defense areas, 

 and other situations of this type are usually single-purpose but 

 frequently desirable. 



Evaluating All Potential Uses 



Better techniques must be developed for evaluating all potential uses 

 and combinations of uses for a given estuarine area in terms of optimum 

 long-run social as well as economic benefits and including aesthetic and 

 recreational values. Certainly natural science will continue to be an 

 important area of investigation, but the social and humanitarian aspects 

 of the natural environment also will have to be evaluated. This will re- 

 quire definitive economic base studies to define values and uses at all 

 levels, in common terms which will permit option of various use alternatives, 



I 



