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ocean and the atmosphere on the one hand and the solid earth on the 
other. 
Thus, from one point of view NOAA is a radical proposal because 
of the disruptions it would cause within present Government struc- 
ture, and at the same time it is too conservative a proposal in that it 
does not include many of the scientific and technological areas which 
are closely related to each other and to the marine and atmospheric 
problem generally. ; 
However, let me turn now to the substantive proposals made by the 
Stratton Commission. 
These proposals exhibit the thoroughness and care with which the 
Commission did its work. The report makes more than 100 program- 
matic recommendations covering all phases of marine science, 
resource development, and engineering. The Commission report and 
its supporting documents outline many of these programs in con- 
siderable detail. 
We have tried, ever since the beginning of this administration, to 
review these many.programmatic proposals with the care which they 
deserve. Agencies of the Federal Government have submitted com- 
ments, task forces set up under the Marine Science Council have 
commented on the Commission proposals and offered their own 
conclusions. 
This review and evaluation is continuing. It is a tremendous:subject. 
The expertise of the National Academy of Sciences and the National 
Academy of Engineering has been drawn on, as appropriate, to obtain 
further opinions. 
Finally, we have attempted to set priorities and to pick out those 
items which will receive initial emphasis in the marine science and 
engineering areas. The President has made it clear on many occasions 
that he intends to move forward in the marine science field and we are 
now ready to take the first steps. 
Before detailing these priority areas I would like to mention one 
unpleasant fact which I am sure will come as no great surprise to you 
gentlemen. The budget for the next year (fiscal year 1971) does not 
appear to permit many programs that we would like to institute to 
meet various needs and opportunities for our nation. 
The many demands on Federal funds taken together with the Pres- 
ident’s desire to curb the present inflation have dictated more selec- 
tivity than we may have wished for. These are simple facts and not: 
what any of us would like but they must be faced at the same time we 
seek to take advantage of our opportunities. 
As just recently announced by the Vice President in his role as 
Chairman of the Marine Council, five areas have been selected for in- 
creased emphasis this year : 
1. Increased efforts to assist States in planning for and man- 
aging rational development of the coastal zone and the Great. 
Lakes; 
2. Organization of coastal-zone research laboratories to con- 
tribute to the definition and solution of coastal-zone problems; 
3. A pilot program to assemble, extend, and test our knowledge 
so that we may reverse the increasing pollution of our lakes, look- 
ing toward restoration of the Great Lakes; 
4. Programs that would be a part of the U.S. contribution to. 
an International Decade of Ocean Exploration; and 
