The Operations and Task of the Commission 



BraiK'li to deal more effectively with marine 

 affairs. (Concurrently the Committee on 

 Oceanography of the National Academy of 

 Sciences was also reviewing progress in 

 oceanography and made new recommenda- 

 tions of a program and organization nature 

 in its report, ()ceanogm]>hy 1966. Additional 

 studies were initiated by committees of the 

 newly formed National Academy of Engi- 

 neering and the National Security Industrial 

 Association. 



Congressional concern about the adequacy 

 of the Federal organization in providing 

 leadership and managing marine-related ac- 

 tivities was reflected in a number of bills in- 

 troduced during this period. Some would 

 have consolidated activities within an operat- 

 ing agency. Others were directed to strength- 

 ening the Executive Office of the President. 

 In 1962, Congress passed a bill, H.R. 12601, 

 designed to vest the new Office of Science and 

 Technology with specific responsibilities in 

 oceanography matters. President Kennedy 

 pocket-vetoed this bill as an encroachment on 

 Presidential authority. 



By 1965 it had become evident that lack of 

 agreement within Government as to prior- 

 ities among programs and the preferred form 

 of Federal organization was leading to an 

 impasse. New bills were introduced in both 

 the House of Representatives and the Senate 

 in an effort to provide a means for achieving 

 more intensive and coordinated Government 

 attention to the Nation's marine interests. The 

 Marine Resources and Engineering Develop- 

 ment Act, as agreed to in conference between 

 the two Houses in June 1966, established 

 over-all goals for a natif)nal ocean progi-am 

 and provided botli for a Council comprised of 

 (^abinet-level officials to assist the President 

 in phmning and coordinating Federal pro- 

 grams and for an advisorv Commission to 



make a comprehensive study that would de- 

 velop the background information and rec- 

 ommendations needed to achieve consensus 

 for moving ahead. 



The Commission was required in this legis- 

 lation to submit its final report to the Presi- 

 dent, via the Council, and to the Congress 

 within 18 months — later extended to 2 

 yeai-s — of its establishment. Although estab- 

 lishing in the National Council an interim 

 mechanism to get action underway, the Con- 

 gress explicitly directed the Commission to 

 recommend Ixith a national oceanographic 

 program and a plan of Government organiza- 

 tion, with estimated costs, for its implemen- 

 tation. To give emphasis to its intent and 

 freedom to the Commission to advance a plan 

 representing its best judgment unconstrained 

 by any prior action, the Congress provided 

 that the authority for the Council should ex- 

 pire 120 days after submission of the Com- 

 mission's report, later extended to June 30, 

 1969. The Commission ceases to exist 30 days 

 after its rejiort is filed. 



Organizing tlie Study 



No precedent existed for the comiDrehen- 

 sive review of marine matters which was re- 

 quested of the Commission ; previous reports 

 had concentrated largely on scientific and 

 technical aspects. Unlike the space and nu- 

 clear energ}' programs, marine programs are 

 characterized bj' private investment far ex- 

 ceeding Federal effort, and State and local 

 activities, though difficult to (luantify, are 

 obviously vast. Further, some marine activi- 

 ties are inseparable from land institutions 

 and problems and for the foreseeable future 

 cannot be treated simply as marine matters. 



In view of its \ery broad charter, the Com- 

 mission's attention was necessarily focused 

 first on organizing to get on with the job. The 



