70 NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM LEGISLATION 



investigations, of the character, associations, and loyalty of the 

 Council's officers, employees, and consultants, as it deems appro- 

 priate. The results of such investigations shall be furnished to the 

 Council." 



Title III of the proposed bill would establish a Marine Exploration 

 and Development Commission composed of two members appointed 

 from private life by the President, as well as the Secretaries of the 

 Departments of Defense, Interior, and Commerce. The function of 

 this Commission would be to formulate and carry out programs for 

 purposes of exploration and development of the marine resources of 

 the Continental Shelf and the waters above the Continental Shelf. 

 Among the specifically described programs are those for marine 

 exploration necessary to describe the topography and to identify, 

 locate, and economically develop physical, chemical, geological, and 

 biological resources of the Continental Shelf and for fostering participa- 

 tion in marine exploration and economic development by scientific 

 institutions and industry. 



The Commission considers that appropriate efforts for the accumu- 

 lation of knowledge respecting the Continental Shelf are currently 

 being exerted by those Federal agencies carrying out activities of 

 exploration and research with respect to the Continental Shelf under 

 the coordination of the ICO, and that the institution of a program 

 of economic development of the resources of the Continental Shelf, 

 which would be a primary function of the Marine Exploration and 

 Development Commission under the bill, would be premature at this 

 time. For example, agencies participating in the ICO are currently 

 conducting a program to develop a comprehensive understanding 

 of the distribution, ecology, physiology, behavior, response to en- 

 vironmental changes and interrelationships of marine organisms in 

 order to permit proper planning for the greater use of the sea, in- 

 cluding the waters of the Continental Shelf, as a source of food. 

 Intensive commercial development at the present time could ad- 

 versely affect the satisfactory conduct of this program. In addition, 

 exploration of the Continental Shelf has been under way for a consider- 

 able period of time; the results of such efforts will be invaluable 

 when our knowledge is sufficiently developed to permit extensive 

 economic exploitation. At the present time, however, the creation 

 of a new Commission to carry out such activities is likely to result 

 in an unnecessary duplication of effort between the Marine Ex- 

 ploration and Development Commission and the ICO and its member 

 agencies; moreover, it could result in a premature commercial ex- 

 ploitation of vital resources and the loss of the opportunity to study 

 and develop such resources systematically to the best advantage 

 of the Nation. 



The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to 

 the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the adminis- 

 tration's program. 



Sincerely yours, 



John V. Vinciguerra 

 (For the General Manager). 



