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for the service rendered by our distinguished Congressman as mem- 
bers of your committee, and I was pleased to note that you recall our 
beloved Congressman Herbert Bonner, a man whose name is still 
revered in North Carolina for his long tenure in the Congress and 
for the great service he rendered not only to his District but, indeed, 
to the State and to the Nation. 
We are pleased, of course, with the comments you have made with 
respect to the service of our Congressmen. I would suggest, sir, how- 
ever, that when you commented about anyone else’s coming, that it 
would be probably not in their place but in the event that they should 
not choose to come later. 
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I do appreciate the 
opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the report of the 
Commission on Marine Science, Engineering and Resources. The Com- 
mission’s report and the hearings of this subcommittee are of particu- 
lar interest to me because of the commitment that North Carolina has 
made to develop the full potential of its marine resources. The General 
Assembly, which only recently adjourned, and to which the chairman 
referred in his opening remarks, passed several pieces of legislation, 
upon my recommendation, to help the State realize this potential. 
A bill was passed to continue, on a permanent basis, the Governor’s 
Council on Marine Sciences, and this has now become a statutory 
agency. This Council will help pull together the efforts of all agencies 
and institutions and permit us to concentrate on specific objectives. The 
Council will help relate research, educational and regulatory functions 
to the practical needs of our marine industries. It will also keep me 
apprised of how State government can be of greater assistance in 
bringing about full and wise usage of our marine resources. 
The same General Assembly appropriated $1.8 million to help carry 
out plans that the Council is developing with our agencies and educa- 
tional institutions over the next two years. These plans are tied closely 
to the program now being administered by the Office of Sea Grants and 
that of the Coastal Plains Regional Commission. 
Another significant act of this General Assembly should be men- 
tioned in that it indicates something regarding the philosophy of our 
State as we proceed to develop our marine resources. An appropriation 
of $500,000 was made to purchase estuarine lands to preserve the qual- 
ity of the marine environment. We do not intend to exploit our valuable 
resource base for the sake of short-term gains. The nursery grounds for 
marine life must not be permanently damaged by commercial develop- 
ment. 
I would like to take just a few minutes, Mr. Chairman, to highlight 
some of the significant facts regarding marine resources in North 
Carolina. The State of North Carolina ranks fifth among the 50 States 
in its length of general tidal shoreline. This tidal shoreline of just over 
1000 miles represents almost 10 percent of the shoreline of the 48 
contiguous States. 
Only Florida (by slight margins), California and Texas exceed 
North Carolina in the length of the general tidal shoreline. 
The State also has more than 2,500 squares miles of saltwater bays 
and sounds. The State thas over 15,000 square miles of Continental 
Shelf offshore with some 1,130 square miles of it included within the 
State’s legal boundaries, A 267-nautical-mile section of the Intracoastal 
