46 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



National Science Foundation, 



Office of the Director, 

 Washington, D.C., July 29, 1965. 

 Hon, Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C 



Dear Mr. Chairman: This is in further reply to jowc letter of 

 March 19, 1965, requesting the comments of the National Science 

 Foundation on H.R. 5884 and an identical bill, H.R. 6009, to provide 

 a program of marine exploration and development of the resources 

 of the Continental Shelf. 



The bills in question would establish a Marine Exploration and 

 Development Commission, consisting of two members appointed from 

 private life, one of whom would be Chairman, the Secretary of De- 

 fense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Commerce. 

 It would be the responsibility of the Commission to formulate and 

 carry out programs for exploration and development of the marine 

 resources of the Continental Shelf and waters above the Continental 

 Shelf. Such programs would include, among others, marine explora- 

 tion, expeditions and surveys, and the making of grants, loans, or cost- 

 sharing arrangements for marine exploration, and economic develop- 

 ment activities by scientific institutions and industry. 



We consider the aims of these bills highly worthwhile. In our 

 view, however, the problems involved in the exploration and de- 

 velopment of the Continental Shelf are still largely undefined. In- 

 formation is not yet available regarding the kinds of programs that 

 should be undertaken or the amounts of money which might be 

 necessary to carry out such activities. We believe that the ad- 

 ministrative mechanism for carrying out such activities should be 

 considered in the Hght of the programs to be conducted. In this 

 connection, the President's Science Advisory Committee has estab- 

 lished a Panel on Oceanography, which will be considering recom- 

 mendations regarding national policies with respect to oceanography, 

 including matters such as those with which these bills are concerned. 



In view of the above considerations, we recommend against enact- 

 ment of H.R. 5884 and H.R. 6009. 



The Bureau of the Budget has advised us it has no objection to the 

 submission of this report from the standpoint of the administration's 

 program. 



Sincerely yours, 



Bowen C. Dees, Acting Director. 



Executive Office of the President, 



Office of Science and Technology, 



Washington, June 1, 1965. 

 Hon. Herbert C. Bonner, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Bonner: This is in response to your request for com- 

 ments on H.R. 5884 and H.R. 6009, identical bills to provide a program 

 of marine exploration and development of the Continental Shelf. 



The recent acquisition by the United States of sovereign rights to 

 the natural resources of the Continental Shelf offers economic oppor- 



