812 
Mr. Brooxs, Yes. 
Mr. Lennon. That is related to the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 
or Sport Fish and Wildlife Division or Mining ? | 
Mr. Brooxs. No, the contract I was referring to was with the Office 
of Water Resources Research. 
Mr. Lennon. So in spite of the fact that your research center has 
contracts with the Department of Commerce which has jurisdiction, 
of course, over the Environmental Sciences Services Administration, 
which the Commission recommends go into the new Government struc- 
ture NOAA, and in spite of the fact that you have a contract with 
the Department of Transportation which has jurisdiction over the 
Coast Guard, which is likewise recommended to go into NOAA, and 
in spite of the fact that you have a contract with the Department of 
the Interior and the Commission report recommends that the Bureau 
of Commercial Fisheries and certain aspects of the Bureau of Sport 
Fisheries and Wildlife go into the Government structure, you are here 
recommending that we follow the recommendations made by the Com- 
mission with respect to the agencies that should go into NOAA and 
for that I want to commend you for your courage. 
Not many research centers subject to Government grants would be 
so courageous. That is the way I want to hear a man talk. 
Mr. Brooks. Could I make a couple of points on that? 
Mr. Lennon. Yes. 
Mr. Brooks. I don’t wish to claim that courage is the issue here. 
The organization which I head receives its support I believe on the 
basis of our scientific competence and objectivity including objectivity 
with regard to organizational management and policy problems. 
Therefore, I think in fact that Iam merely being consistent 
Mr. Lennon. I think you are, too. 
Mr. Brooks (continuing). With our stock in trade in taking this 
point of view. 
Mr. Lennon. I think you are, too. I want to compliment you be- 
cause there are not many private research centers that would come 
before a committee and recommend something that could have an 
adverse impact in the future with respect to Government contracts. 
You have done that, and I commend you for it. 
I wish other people were more objective and more courageous. 
Coming now to the question of the coastal zones, that as you have 
indicated is a most complex subject. I believe up in New York State 
and in the Long Island section the various incorporated towns own 
the estuary and marshland off their shores; is that true? 
Mr. Brooks. I believe that is so. 
Mr. Lennon. J recollect it because I visited up there. 
In some States the State has the fee simple title to all the marsh- 
lands regardless of where they might be located. Such is true in North 
Carolina if they are not owned by the individual under a king’s grant — 
and have not subsequently been sold by the State board of education 
in which title lies. 
I know something of the problem that you had up in New York 
State and Long Island land and I understand this is true in Con- 
necticut, too. 
Does the State of Connecticut own the marshland off its shores or 
