346 



Interior's estuarine programs are planned and managed to meet 

 expanding national needs for material, esthetic, and environmental 

 resources and qualities afforded by the estuarine areas. Programs in 

 support of objectives provide for aggressive leadership in research and 

 management. For the most part the programs also encourage and 

 complement appropriately designed estuarine activities of other Fed- 

 eral agencies and State and local governments. 



Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 



Concerned largely with coastal waters and the open ocean, the 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries works with nature as yet little 

 affected by human management except for those anadromous species 

 which use the estuaries and migrate into fresh water to spawn. It has 

 the responsibility to insure an adequate, dependable, and diverse 

 supply of fish and shellfish products of good quality; encourage 

 optimum use of estuarine living resources; and contribute to man's 

 understanding and control of estuarine living resources and their 

 environment. To achieve these objectives, the agency conducts research 

 on estuaries, estuarine problems, or estuarine-dependent species of 

 fish at more than half of its 20 biological laboratories. 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries and the Bureau of Sport 

 Fisheries and Wildlife have, after more than a decade as a service, 

 recently formed several interbureau committees on such matters of 

 common interest as estuaries, anadromous fish, and conflicts between 

 commercial and sport fishermen. 



Task forces on ad hoc bases are constantly being formed for special 

 interbureau purposes. These developments and other basic responsi- 

 bilities of longer standing, place the Department of the Interior in 

 an expanding role of leadership and responsibility in estuarine re- 

 search, planning, and management. 



Bureau of B'port Fisheries and Wildlife 



In the conservation of estuarine fish and wildlife resources and the 

 preservation of estuarine habitat, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and 

 Wildlife has a very substantial program. Under a variety of legis- 

 lative authorities the Bureau activities include investigations and 

 recommendations for the preservation and enhancement of fish and 

 wildlife resources in connection with waterfowl population statistics 

 and of regulations pertaining to waterfowl ; Federal aid to the States 

 for acquisition of wetlands, research on fish and wildlife, and access 

 and development of facilities for fishing and hunting; training of 

 biologists and dissemination of technical advice; conservation edu- 

 cation ; and pesticide monitoring. 



The Bureau is also charged with the second estuary study under- 

 way in the Department, the National Estuary Protection Act (Public 

 Law 90^54) . This act expresses the intent of Congress "* * * to 

 recognize, preserve, and protect the responsibilities of the States in 

 protecting, conserving, and restoring the estuaries in the United 

 States." 



This legislation directs the Secretary, in cooperation with the States 

 and with other Federal agencies, to conduct a detailed inventory of 

 the estuaries of the Nation. Such inventory and analyses would be the 

 base for determining appropriate means and measures of preserving 

 or restoring particular areas, including legislation. 



