128 



to plan national, regional, and local water resources development 

 projects. 



Of course, the Department's Maritime Administration (Mar Ad) 

 has promoted the development of our ports and related transportation 

 facilities to include investigating- the coastal zone tributary to ports, 

 advising and assisting communities in port improvement and location 

 and studying congestion of commerce at ports v\^here land and water 

 modes of transportation interface. MarAd cooperates with all other 

 Federal agencies in all coastal zone management questions, supplying 

 its expertise where needed. 



All of these agencies have participated extensively in the Estuarine 

 Studies that are being undertaken in accordance with the Water Pollu- 

 tion Control Act. There is a separate Estuarine Study on the Chesa- 

 peake Ba}^, and there are other major studies concerning this Nation's 

 estuaries. These are separate and significant parts of the coastal zone 

 that have unique complex problems. 



In most cases, the agencies have not only supplied basic informa- 

 tion, analj^ses and forecasts, but they have also met with the working 

 groups to discuss the problems and to help seek solutions. 



Since the Federal Interagency Eiver Basin Committee was estab- 

 lished in the early 1940's, the De]5artment of Commerce and its con- 

 stituent agencies have participated in the planning of water resources 

 development that has been taking ))lace throughout the countr}-. 



The water resources planning in the field has been on a river basis 

 vs'ith field personnel organized into work groups and study groups 

 to develop plans and programs to meet estimated vrator requirements. 

 The personnel has included employees from Federal agencies and 

 State governments with coordination under a joint coordinating com- 

 mittee of Governors and regional heads of Federal departments. The 

 Ei\'er Basin Studies and reviews have covered areas from headwaters 

 to the sea and. accordingly, coastal areas have always been part of the 

 consideration and stud}". 



With the establishment of the Water Resources Council under tlie 

 Water Resources Planning Act of 1965, the Department of Commerce 

 has been an associate member and provided considerable participation 

 at the meetings at all levels, from the Council itself, which is made up 

 of Secretaries of Departments, through the Council of Representatives 

 and the many committees that operate in Y>^ashington. 



The Department of Commerce also participates with full mem- 

 bership on the River Basin Commissions that have been established 

 under the Water Resources Planning Act with a Secretarial designa- 

 tion for Commerce member. Commerce also has membership on the 

 long-established river basin committees which also include the 

 Governors. 



With this recitation of the Department of Commerce participation 

 in these problems which relate to coastal zone management as a 

 background, I would like now to comment on the Federal Govern- 

 ment's role in future national directions in the coastal zones. 



One of the salient facts about our developing society is that fewer 

 and fewer of us live in a natural environment, and more and more of 

 us live in an environment which is largely man-made. Probably SO 

 out of every 100 people in this country are dependent on systems whicli 



