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ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVlLOPStENT 



SO. providing hope and a means of action for today's generation and those 

 of the future. 



RECOMMENDATIONS 



If the federal government is to meet the envirotunental and natural resources 

 challenges of the future, the distribution of R&D responsibilities across all 

 depanments and agencies must be rethought. Key guiding organizauonai 

 considerations include effecuvc suppon of department and agency missions; 

 a capacity to condua strategic planning, anticipate future R&D needs, and 

 undcnake comprehensive policy analyses; effecuvc monitoring, information 

 storage, and retrieval capabilities: a strong science and technology base; and 

 effective linkages with other federal and intemauonai environmental R&D 

 programs. Our recoramendarions that follow are grouped into four broad 

 categories: 



• Leadership and the research agenda 



■ Strengthening the federal R&D infrastructure 



■ Linking and coordinaring programs 



■ Building a strong intellectual base 



Leadership .\nd the Research Agenda 



Leadership starts at the top, and the Execuuve Office of the President needs 

 new mechanisms to foster cooperauon between departments and agencies 

 in their efforts to address high-priority problems. The President relies upon 

 several entities within the Execuuve Office in setting the research agenda. 

 These organizauons must be strengthened in order to provide efFecrive analysis 

 and advice to the President on envirotunental issues. 



" The White House apparatus for establishing environmental policy and 

 for guiding federal enTironmental R&D programs should be strengthened 

 by expanding the responsibilides of the existing units in the Execuuve Office 

 of the President and by esablishing a new insdtudonal capability to assess 

 scientific and technical infotmadon and analyze envirotunental issues from 

 the standpoint of economic, sodai, and polidcal consideradons. 



■ The mission of the existing White House Office of Environmental Quality 

 (OEQj should be expanded, giving it broad responsibility for developing 



