246 



to draw on the expert information and views 

 of the agencies without surrendering the in- 

 dejDendence that an outside committee can 

 provide. 



In view of the broad mission and coordinat- 

 ing responsibilities proposed for NOAA, the 

 Committee should be administratively at- 

 tached to that agency. 



The Committee should have a small, full- 

 time staff under a director selected by the 

 chairman with the concurrence of the Com- 

 mittee. In addition to comprehensive biennial 

 reports, the Committee could from time to 

 time submit other reports on specific matters. 



A principal function of NACO would be 

 to provide two-way commimication between 

 Federal and non- Federal interests. The es- 

 tablishment of the National Advisory Com- 

 mittee for Aeronautics in 1915 was responsive 

 to a similar need to bring together govern- 

 ment, industry, and academic experts as the 



Vniversity marine science programs 

 would be among the many activities 

 that icould 'benefit by improved 

 co-mmunieation between Federal 

 and non-Federal ocean interests 

 through a National Advisory 

 Committee on the Oceans. 



United States entered the aeronautical age. 

 Similarly, the creation of NACO will help 

 assure participation by the entire marine 

 community in a national effort, in the oceans. 

 The Committee would respond to requests 

 for advice from the President, the head of the 

 new marine agency, and others within and 

 outside government. The Committee would 

 be expected to assess the performance of the 

 new agency as well as all of other parties par- 

 ticipating in the national ocean effort. The 

 Panel on Marine Engineering and Technol- 

 ogy has suggested a number of specific activ- 

 ities wliich might be assigned to the com- 

 mittee in Chapter 4 of its report. 



Executive Office of the President 



Establishment of a central marine and at- 

 mospheric agency and of a broadly repre- 

 sentative advisory committee would go far 

 toward providing the organizational ar- 

 rangements needed to oversee a national pro- 

 gram. However, functions of leadership and 

 control remain that can be exercised only 

 within the President's own office. Presiden- 

 tial staff groups will, of course, intercede as 

 necessary on the President's behalf to iden- 



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G ^ o m 



