and often halted progress needed for the benefit of many at the expense 

 of local benefits for few. The National Coastal Zone Management Pro- 

 gram should, as a matter of high priority, be provided the means needed 

 to effect better State and local coordination and assure that regional and 

 national interests will be fairly served. 



Balanced and Responsible Concern 



Lest we be misunderstood because of this emphasis on national and 

 regional needs, for effective utilization of the coastal zone, NACOA re- 

 affirms its keen interest in bringing coastal waters, coastal bottoms, and the 

 coastland areas under balanced and responsible control in the light of en- 

 vironmental imperatives. We advocate preservation of unique areas of 

 biological importance, active conservation of open space and natural areas 

 where threatened, and limitation of development to areas and amounts 

 justified by the criticality of basic societal needs like energy and transpor- 

 tation. However, we are convinced that in many instances, ways can be 

 found to allow reasonable usage with tolerable or no damage. We do not 

 believe that it is in the best interests of the people of this country or of 

 any State to eliminate or permanently impair effective use of the region. 

 We are convinced that the Coastal Zone Management Program is best 

 pursued and funded under an arrangement whereby State governments 

 and the Federal Government participate together within effective na- 

 tional guidelines as was provided for in the Act. 



Research and Development in the Coastal Zone 



To aid rational management of the resources and environments of the 

 coastal zone, increased research and engineering activities will be required. 

 Baseline environmental studies are needed, resource location and evalua- 

 tion are required, and new and/or more effective means of conservation, 

 use, and preservation are necessary. A number of Federal R&D activities 

 are relevant. For example, the Sea Grant Program of NOAA, certain 

 National Science Foundation projects, the MESA * program of NOAA, 

 the fisheries programs of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and 

 Interior's Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (i.e. P.L. 88-309 and 

 P.L. 89-304) . There are others. Unfortunately, serious reductions in fund- 

 ing of most, and in the rate of growth in others, have resulted from the 

 recent budgetary impoundments and reduced requests for FY '74. Some 

 vessels used for coastal, environmental, and fisheries-related work have 

 been deleted from the fleet. This general cutback is unfortunate since 

 solution of the economic and environmental problems related to the 

 coastal zone depends on improved knowledge of the processes and phe- 



* Marine Ecosystems Analysis. 



27 



