178 



Dr. Baker. Well, Congressman Fair, I think that's a good exam- 

 ple of the real tough choices that we have today, with trying to 

 solve problems and to do it in a real tough budget climate. 



We are hoping that we can carry out that activity and still pro- 

 vide the information that was being developed out to the public. 



All of the NOAA information is provided on the World Wide Web. 

 We are using, as has been suggested here, we are already doing 

 that. We're using all of the technologies to get information out to 

 the public. And we're working very hard to make sure that the in- 

 formation that that office was providing is still available, although 

 in a slightly different form. 



And let me say also, we are making sure that the Sea Grant Pro- 

 gram is adequately supported so it can can carry out its extension 

 and education programs because the Sea Grant Program, as a link 

 to the public, is absolutely critical. 



Let me just say one other thing about our activities in Monterey, 

 which are very collaborative with the Navy, with the state agen- 

 cies. You've been a big help to us in helping us organize that. 



We've been working with the California Coastal Commission to 

 look at the Monterey Bay watershed to understand the impacts of 

 land-based pollutants on the bay. We have a group that is out 

 there now under Bud Ehler and our National Ocean Service so that 

 we can understand what the impacts of land-based pollutants are 

 in Monterey Bay before the bay has a problem. 



And if we can put those things in place, that's a way to make 

 it work. 



And I think this is a very good example, of your suggestion about 

 having a federal/state/local cooperative activity that really helps us 

 make sure that we can sustain economic development. 



Mr. Farr. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I hope you invite this 

 whole committee out there just so we can have a follow-up with the 

 panelists and really see what it's like to apply all of it in a collabo- 

 rative way. 



Thank you. 



Mr. Weldon. Thank you, Mr. Farr. Actually, in line with your 

 suggestion, we've already committed to a West Coast briefing like 

 we had in Rhode Island on Monday. We're in the process now of 

 getting a date and a site, but it will be specifically to continue the 

 work that we've started here. 



So that commitment has already been made. 



With that, we'll move on to Mr. Olver. 



Mr. Olver. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I wonder if you'll get more people for the West Coast survey or 

 for the ice North Pole on this spring which the Admiral had sug- 

 gested would be available to us. 



[Laughter.] 



I think it would be interesting to go back to something, Mr. 

 Chairman, that you had said about the sterility of this room. And 

 it certainly is sterile. There is nothing to keep one fi-om going to 

 sleep sometimes, at least on the walls here. 



It would be interesting to see whether the people who are here, 

 out of all of this data we are now being told is classified, and that 

 shouldn't be classified or doesn't need to be classified. 



