NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC PROGRAM— 1969 



MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1969 



House of Representatives, 

 Subcommittee on Oceanography of the 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 



Washington, D.G. 



The subcommittee met in executive session at 10 a.m. in room 

 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Alton Lennon (chairman 

 of the subcommittee) presiding. 



Mr. Lennon. The meeting of the subcommittee and those other 

 members of the fuU committee we invited and the staff wiU now come 

 to order. 



The purpose of this meeting today is to have an informal discussion 

 between the members of the Subcommittee on Oceanography and the 

 other members of the full committee as it was constituted in the 90th 

 Congress with Dr. Julius A. Stratton, the distinguished chairman of 

 the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources, 

 other commissioners who are here with him, and members of his staff, 

 on the subject of the final report of the Commission entitled "Our 

 Nation and the Sea." 



I hope you gentlemen got an opportunity to read this report and 

 study it in depth. 



For the record, it wiU be recalled that after over 7 years of compre- 

 hensive and careful study by the appropriate committees in both 

 Houses in the Congress, Public Law 89-454 was enacted into law with 

 the approval of the President on June 17, 1966. 



That act contained a declaration of policy of the United States to 

 develop, encourage, and mamtain a coordinated, comprehensive and 

 long-range national program in marine science for the benefit of 

 mankind, to assist in protection of health and property, enhancement 

 of commerce, transportation and national security, rehabilitation of 

 our commercial fisheries, and increased utilization of these and other 

 resources. 



Key provisions of the act established in the Executive Office of the 

 President the National CouncU on Marine Resources and Engineering 

 Development to provide advice and assistance to the President in 

 meeting his responsibilities in regard to carrying out the national 

 policy and programs. The function of the Council was to participate 

 in the planning and conduct of coordinated Federal programs of a 

 current and ongoing nature. 



The Council is a Cabinet-level body under the chairmanship of the 

 Vice President. 



In addition to the Council, the act also provided for the establish- 

 ment of a Commission on Marine Science, Engineering, and Resources, 



(1) 



