162 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



program. We should make certain that we get started this year 

 on this program. 



Mr. CAULFIELD. I have been asked to speak this afternoon con- 

 cerning the Federal, State, and local planning process as envisioned 

 by legislation about to be passed, from the point of view of getting 

 all the values that we seek in our society fulfilled through this water 

 and related land planning device. 



My colleagues this afternoon have made specific suggestions for 

 beautification and greater direct human use of urban waterfronts 

 along rivers, lakes, harbors, and seacoast. This residential, recrea- 

 tional, scenic, fish and wildlife use of such water-related land areas 

 is in direct conflict with long-standing use of waterfronts as indus- 

 trial locations, railroad terminals and navigation ports. 



Also, as urban areas expand, the issue arises as to the appropriate 

 use of stretches of rivers that will be urban 50 or 60 years from now. 

 For example, as metropolitan Washington expands this would in- 

 volve the Potomac between here and Harpers Ferry. Urban areas, 

 now and in the future, are parts of large river basins. What we 

 need, as I see it, is much better and more intensive Federal, State, 

 and local comprehensive planning to obtain the type of well-planned 

 action that participants in this conference so greatly desire. 



On the Potomac, as President Johnson has directed, we are con- 

 ducting a special planning effort to make it a model of conservation 

 for the whole country. But, more broadly, we are on the threshold 

 of greatly improved water and related land resource basin planning 

 throughout the country. Now in conference between the House of 

 Representatives and the Senate, and expected to pass soon, is the 

 Water Resources Planning Act which Mr. Feiss has already made 

 reference to. Under title II of that act, Federal-State River Basin 

 Planning Commissions can be established, chaired by an appointee 

 of the President and on which the Federal agencies concerned and 

 the States will be represented. 



The traditional Federal involvement in rivers has been principally 

 in developing them for water supply, flood control, navigation, 

 power, and more recently pollution control. Now the related land 

 areas can come into their own, as I see it. First, we have the finan- 

 cial help provided by last year's enactment of the Land and Water 

 Conservation Fund to provide funds for land acquisition. We have 

 the Open Space Act and the amendments which will broaden and 

 strengthen it. We are getting a new focus on urban renewal, hope- 



