043 
‘DEPARTMENT OF THE NAvy, 
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, 
Washington, D.C., September 24, 1969. 
Hon. Epwarp A. GARMATz, 
Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 
DeaR MR. CHAIRMAN: Your request for comment on H.R. 13247, a bill “To 
amend the Marine Resources and Engineering Development Act of 1966 to estab- 
lish a comprehensive and long-range national program of research, development, 
technical services, exploration and utilization with respect to our marine and 
atmospheric environment,” has been assigned to this Department by the Secre- 
tary of Defense for the preparation of a report thereon expressing the views of 
the Department of Defense. 
The bill would establish a new independent agency to be known as the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency. This Agency, under the direction of the Presi- 
dent, would undertake the leadership for the planning, direction, conduct and 
support of all federal civil marine and atmospherie affairs, including the Great 
Lakes as well as the oceans. ‘Several federal organizations would be transferred 
from their present locations to form the Agency. The proposed transfers most 
immediately affecting the Department of Defense would include the National 
Oceanographic Data Center under the administration of the Department of the 
Navy and the Lake Survey of the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Army. 
In addition, the bill would establish a fifteen member Presidentially appointed 
National Advisory Committee for the Oceans and Atmosphere. The Advisory 
Committee would provide a link between federal, state and local governments, 
industry, and university components of the national ocean-oriented community. 
The Advisory Committee would review the progress in achieving the nation’s 
oceanic and atmospheric objectives, and report to the President and the Congress, 
while at the same time being primary advisor to the National Oceanic and At- 
mospherie Agency. Provision is also made for the representatives of other gov- 
ernment agencies concerned with oceanic and atmospheric affairs to act as 
observers on the Advisory Committee. 
The bill focuses upon the reorganization of the Federal Government’s civil 
responsibilities for oceanic and atmospheric affairs and embodies many of the 
organizational recommendations of the report of the Commission on Marine 
Science, Engineering and Resources entitled ‘Our Nation and the Sea.” On 19 
May 1969, the President referred the Commission report to the President’s Ad- 
visory Council on Executive Organization and asked the Council to review the 
organization recommendations made by the Commission. 
In light of the above Presidential action, it would be inappropriate at this 
time for the Department of Defense to express a position for or against enact- 
ment of the bill. However, the Department does subscribe to the following gen- 
eral views on the matter and offers them for the consideration of the Committee. 
The Department of Defense has viewed the proposal in terms of four major 
domains in which the new organization is proposed to operate—the World 
Ocean, the World Atmosphere, the Coastal Zone and the Great Lakes. 
Although the Department of Defense believes a new agency is not required for 
the coastal zone, should a new agency be created to meet the needs of the World 
Ocean and the World Atmosphere it would have an obvious interest in the coast. 
The Department believes that the best way for such an agency to influence 
coastal decisions, would be for it to join, not duplicate or displace, the Water 
Resources Council and the Federal-interstate field organizations now working 
actively with it. 
The Department has considered the essentially inland character of these lakes 
and the role of the principal Federal-interstate mechanism existing there—the 
Great Lakes Basin Commission. Regardless of the decision establishing the pro- 
posed agency, an oceanic agency should not have a primary role on the Great 
Lakes. These problems are not primarily oceanic in character. In their hydraulic, 
biologic, water quality and legal aspects they are much more closely related to 
rivers and inland lakes than they are to the World Ocean. Thus, with respect to 
the U.S. Army Engineer District, Lake Survey, the proposed transfer to the 
new oceanic and atmospheric agency would not appear to be advisable considering 
the basic inland nature of these lakes. 
Should some form of reorganization of the Federal civil oceanic and atmos- 
pheric effort be acomplished, it is of paramount importance that a maximum 
