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its responsibilities for aquatic recreation activities (as for instance in the 
Bureau of Outdoor Recreation and the National Park Service). By the same 
token, it appears logical to continue and possibly expand the Department 
of the Interior’s responsibilities associated with the coastal zone. 
Responsibility for civilian ocean technology might logically be assigned to 
the Department of the Interior because of its responsibilities in resource devel- 
opment. Certainly, the extensive marine technology from the Navy’s programs 
should be utilized to the fullest extent for civilian purposes. 
If you will pardon my natural bias, I should like to refer to the President’s 
Science Advisory Committee’s 1966 report, Effective Use of the Sea. The PSAC 
report deliberately centralized responsibility and authority for general purpose 
ocean research and education in the National Science Foundation. Scientific and 
engineering research and the education of people to conduct such research is the 
critically necessary underpinning to both environmental services, resource devel- 
opment, and ocean technology. The Foundation has always been heavily involved 
in supporting such research. It is for this reason that the Commission’s recom- 
mendations affecting the National Science Foundation concern me in several 
ways. 
The Foundation is affected in the recommendations respecting the United 
States Antarctic Program, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, 
oceanographic facility support to institutions, and the National Sea Grant and 
College Program. These programs are in direct support of, or closely related to, 
research conducted in the Nation’s universities and colleges. The National 
Science Foundation is a major supporter of such academic research; indeed, 
the academic setting is the principal locus of nearly all Foundation support. In 
contrast, most of the other agencies and bureaus suggested for reorganization in 
the proposed agency have little or no tradition of, or experience with, support of 
programs that have as their main purpose the strengthening of academic science 
resources. 
To maintain and to assure the future stability and growth of this Nation’s 
scientific and technological posture, and to be sure that we have the trained 
manpower necessary in the future to conduct the scientific research te help solve 
the relevant problems of our society, I strongly believe the Foundation must 
expand its leadership and increase its support to the academic community in all 
scientific fields to assure the scientific health of our country. Since all sciences 
are interdependent, and multidisciplinary efforts are paramount, separating such 
marine-related programs from other Foundation sponsored activities and isolat- 
ing them in a new agency would adversely affect this Nation’s scientific research 
and education capabilities. 
Moreover, I am deeply concerned with the Report’s recommendation regarding 
the National Sea Grant Program. I must confess that, personally, I had earlier 
entertained doubts as to the feasibility of such a program as it was originally 
proposed. However, the Sea Grant Program has made significant and rapid 
progress. This program has great potential for accelerating the development of 
the ocean in our national interest. And it has this potential since it has become 
so highly complementary and catalytic to our long-standing oceanographic re- 
search programs. I know you are aware of the Foundation’s leadership over the 
years in building our national oceanographic research program, the large invest- 
ments we have made in establishing and supporting oceanographic institutions 
and universities, and the initiaton and support of major natonal and interna- 
tional programs. With the Sea Grant Program becoming such a capping to our 
marine scientific research and education programs, our potential has been sig- 
nificantly enhanced. 
I know you are, well aware of the Sea Grant Program’s primary objective 
of marshalling the academic and industrial science capabilities to serve the 
best interests of the country: (a) through conduct of applied research coordi- 
nated in many fields and directed in programs having as their aim the develop- 
ment of marine resources: (b) through direct edrcation and training programs 
to build the Nation’s scientific engineering and technical manpower resources 
for such exploitation; and (c) through the transfer of scientific and techno- 
logical information from the developers of such information to the practical 
users. The Office of Sea Grant Programs has established strong but flexible 
working arrangements with the Interior Department. ESSA, Agricultural Exten- 
sion Service, and the Army Engineers. I can assure you that I shall take all 
feasible steps to enable the Sea Grant Program to reach its full potential in as 
short a time as possible. 
