13 



Council on Marine Eesources and Engineering Development. How- 

 ever, neither of these groups can be expected to be concerned with the 

 detailed management of particular coastal areas. 



If you believe, as did the Commission, that a more effective manage- 

 ment system is required, one of the first questions to be settled is the 

 level of Government at which it operates. Our second major conclusion 

 was that the management task was primarily a State responsibility 

 and that the Federal Government should encourage the States to accept 

 this responsibility. 



Even the most ardent federalists amongst us despaired of ever doing 

 an effective job at the Federal level. It seems highly unlikely, even if 

 it were considered desirable, to put together in a single agency all of 

 the authority and functions related to the coastal zone that one now 

 finds scattered throughout the Federal establishment. 



Probably the most that one could expect would be a somewhat more 

 powerful and effective Marine Council or Water Eesources Council. 



However, we in the Commission were of the opinion that the proper 

 level of Government was the State level. j\Iost of the management 

 functions we are suggesting are traditionally State functions. The 

 extent to which any State wishes to delegate authority to local or 

 regional groups can, within certain limits, be determined by the State. 



THE COASTAL ZONE AUTHORITY 



Coming to our recommendations, the Commission was of the opinion 

 that the States must be the focus for responsibility and action in the- 

 coastal zone. We also concluded that in most cases the States now lack 

 adequate machinery for that task. We believe an agency of the State 

 is needed with sufficient planning and regulatory authority to manage 

 coastal areas effectively and to resolve problems of competing uses. 



Such agencies should be strong enough to deal with the host of over- 

 lapping and often competing jurisdictions of the various Federal' 

 agencies. In addition, a strong State organization is essential to sur- 

 mount special local interests, to assist local agencies in solving common 

 problems, and to effect strong interstate cooperation. 



Specifically w^e recommended that : 



A Coastal Management Act be enacted which will provide policy 

 objectives for the coastal zone and authorize Federal grants-in-aid to- 

 facilitate the establishment of State coastal zone authorities empow- 

 ered to manage the coastal waters and adjacent land. 



We recognize that the Federal Govermnent cannot compel a State to^ 

 develop a special organization to deal with coastal management prob- 

 lems. How^ever, by such an act it can encourage a State to do so. 



We also recognize that the great diversity of resources, scope, and 

 activities of coastal State governments will prevent adoption of a 

 uniform administrative approach to State coastal zone authorities. 

 In some States a single authority might appropriately be given juris- 

 diction over the State's entire coast; in others, several groups might be 

 established under a single authority within a State to deal with sep- 

 arate estuarine areas. 



The form of a State authority may vary from a volunteer commission- 

 with a small staff to an agency like the New York Port Authority with 

 major development authority buttressed by the power to issue bonds.. 



In our review, the guiding principles for the authorities should in- 



37-487 — 69 2 



