598 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



the making of decisions. Biological changes cannot necessarily be 

 avoided by ecological foresight, but the acceptability of changes 

 could be evaluated in advance. 



Second, we need a sharper awareness of what there is to protect 

 and where it is. We need to know the present status so that changes 

 can be measured accurately. An inventory of existing resources is 

 necessary as a basis for identifying action programs to protect natural 

 plant and animal communities and other spots of natural beauty. 

 The material, prepared for Wisconsin by Dr. Lewis, as described at 

 the conference, is an excellent example of what can be done. 



Third, there is need for a central focus for ecological activities in 

 the Federal Government structure. Man's health, livestock, and 

 food and fiber crops are adequately protected through existing orga- 

 nizations. Environmental phenomena in the atmosphere, ocean and 

 other parts of the hydrosphere are subjects of relatively intense study 

 by several agencies. But living organisms, and the natural plant 

 and animal communities in which they exist, are not being appro- 

 priately studied or protected. 



A U.S. Ecological Survey should be established, properly in the 

 Department of the Interior, to carry out, or cause to be carried out, 

 broad continuing investigations leading to description of, mapping of 

 and understanding of the natural ecosystems in which we live; to 

 provide basic information needed by agencies engaged in applied 

 research and practical manipulation of, utilization of, or protection 

 of these ecosystems; and, to alert government, public and private 

 institutions on the possible ecological consequences of proposed de- 

 velopment activities. Deeper understanding of natural plant and 

 animal communities their needs, dynamics, interactions and rela- 

 tions to man is necessary, and would be provided through the sur- 

 vey program. 



It would be a continuing responsibility of the Ecological Survey 

 effort to maintain an evaluation of the extent and condition of the 

 natural environmental resources of the United States, and to report 

 periodically or upon request to the executive department, to the 

 Congress, to the States, and to the public on these resources, their 

 scope, their condition and their trends. By natural environmental 

 resources are meant those portions of the ecosystem that are utilized 

 or enjoyed without extensive manipulation or control or are not at 

 present utilized directly or at all. These include the natural vege- 

 tation and animal life, uncultivated soils, scenery and water, so long 



