WATER AND WATERFRONTS 161 



1. Continuing national review of all current Federal, State, and 

 local legislation and budgets relating to above requirements. 



2. Legislative drafting systems to meet inadequacies of current 

 programs. 



3. Organization of special interest groups for promotion of pro- 

 grams, including all related professional organizations. 



4. Research, design experiments and competitions, public educa- 

 tion. 



There are currently before Congress, several legislative programs 

 which specifically relate to our interest this afternoon. There is 

 S. 21 or H.R. 1111, a bill providing for the optimum development 

 of the Nation's natural resources through the coordinated planning 

 of water and related resources, through the establishment of a Water 

 Resources Council and River Basin Planning Commissions and 

 through providing financial assistance to the States in order to in- 

 crease State participation in such planning. The United States 

 has been divided into river basins which these river basin com- 

 missions will supervise. 



The law does not specifically state as yet that beautification is a 

 major and essential function of any of these commissions. I want 

 to urge that the pending legislation be amended or clarified so that 

 the sections dealing with river basin commissions and their func- 

 tions will go beyond and I am quoting here "the preparing 

 and keeping up to date of a comprehensive, joint plan for Federal, 

 State, and local and nongovernmental resources," and so on. For 

 the collection of data, planning, and construction of projects, I urge 

 that the purpose of this conference be instilled into this legislation. 



My recommendations for programs are based somewhat on that, 

 and the other pending bill that Mr. Slayton mentioned this morning, 

 the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965 and section 805 

 which provides for urban beautification and improvement. This 

 bill, as it is presently written, and it has just been reported out of the 

 House committee, provides for Federal aid for the beautification of 

 land and the comprehensive plan development of a locality for the 

 greater use and enjoyment of open space and other public lands 

 in urban areas. Of course, nothing could be more important, but 

 the law, as presently written, does not include an open space on 

 waterfronts or water areas, and I urge that we seriously consider 

 and recommend to the appropriate Members of Congress and to the 

 President that this be clarified so there is no question that water- 

 fronts and land are included in this beautification and improvement 



