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Will the Study Lead to Action f 



The study will be useful only if it leads to prompt and effective action. A 

 critical factor will be whether the recommendations for action are understood 

 and fully supported by the citizens of the area. The Commission recognizes that 

 full participation by private institutions and individuals is essential if the study 

 is to lead to a consensus for effective action. 



Public hearings will be held early in the planning process. The Commission 

 hopes to suggest specific action possibilities in these early hearings to give the 

 private citizens of the area something specific to react to. Other hearings will 

 be held throughout the planning process, including a final series when the action 

 plan is being formulated. Regular and special meetings of the Coordinating 

 Group will be held throughout the study area, and will be open to the public. 



The Commission may establish an advisory committee of public officials and 

 private citizens from throughout the region. It may be desirable to have such 

 broad advisory committees from appropriate subregions within the study area — 

 i.e., Narragansett Bay, Cape Cod, the Boston Metropolitan area, etc. 



The Commission recognizes a responsibility to generate and distribute infor- 

 mation in ways that will insure that all interested parties will consider and 

 express themselves on the study. We hope that citizen action groups, trade and 

 industrial organizations, chambers of commerce, labor unions, etc., will take the 

 time to make informed judgments and recommendations. And we entertain the 

 hope that interested organizations of all persuasions may find it feasible to join 

 in a consortium for the purpose of generating and channeling responsible public 

 interest in the study. Should the study recommendations merit the support of 

 people of the Southeastern New England area, the Commission would hope that 

 an organized area-wide effort to support implementation through Federal, State, 

 local and private action would follow. 



The study will lead to action if its recommendations are sound, and if the 

 Southeastern New England community works to get action. The technical job of 

 planning is relatively easy ; the task of responding to and enlisting public inter- 

 est and support is critical. 



What Wm the Study Cost? Who Will Pay? 



The cost of the study cannot be accurately computed until the detailed plan of 

 study is completed. An evaluation must be made of previously completed and on- 

 going studies to determine the scope and focus of additional studies needed. 



Costs of Federal agency participation will be borne by appropriations from the 

 Congress for each participating agency. As a comparison, Federal costs for the 

 comprehensive study of water and related land resources of the Connecticut 

 River will be between three to four million dollars. 



Costs of Commission participation — now estimated at approximately $220,000 

 for the life of the study — will be borne out of regular State and Federal contribu- 

 tions. New England River Basins Commission operating expenses are shared 

 equally by the Federal Government and the seven participating States. At the 

 first Commission meeting on October 16-17, 19G7, each of the six New England 

 states and the State of New York reaffirmed their commitments of $10,000 per 

 state which, when matched with equal Federal funds provided an initial fund 

 for Fiscal Year 1968 of $140,000. 



Like amounts of State and Federal funds have been made available for Fiscal 

 Year 1969, thus providing a total of $280,000 for operations in the first two fiscal 

 years. Commission operating expenditures for Fiscal Year 1969 are budgeted at 

 approximately $240,000, and for Fiscal Year 1970 and 1971, approximately 

 $275,000 per year. 



It has not been customary for States participating in Federally-directed com- 

 prehensive studies to prepare budgets allocating funds for State agency partici- 

 pation. Since the SENE study is a joint Federal-State study and provides a full 

 opportunity for State agencies to influence study management and recommend 

 specific actions, the Commission hopes that each State will develop a positive 

 program for participation. It seems likely that, as a minimum. States would 

 consider assigning one qualified professional to help coordinate State participa- 

 tion ; and will consider appropriation of funds to individual State agencies, where 

 necessary, to assure that the study contributes to State objectives. 



A portion of the States' costs could be borne by the Federal government under 

 programs providing financial ^assistance for planning, including grants for com- 

 prehensive State planning programs, and for water resources, outdoor recreation, 

 and fish and wildlife planning. 



