56 



But, apart from these — step by step, the argument for the establish- 

 ment of a strong locus of effort, with adeq[uate authority and adequate 

 resources, with a capacity to take major initiatives and follow through, 

 became overwhelmingly persuasive. 



As one proceeds through the report of the Commission, the logic 

 of that argument, I think, develops of itself. 



It rests upon our need to create through science and engineering an 

 expanding array of capabilities. 



It relates to the sponsoring of a plan of national projects. 



It reflects the urgency of establishing before it is too late a program 

 for the systematic management of our coastal zones and to forestall the 

 continuing erosion of our shores and the pollution of our estuaries. 



It meets the need for exploration and research that are essential to 

 the productive use of the seabed and to the rehabilitation of our 

 fisheries. 



It recognizes the environmental unity of land and sea and atmos- 

 phere and the future of monitoring, prediction, and control. 



To all users of the marine environment, it would provide essential 

 services, including navigation, mapping, and charting. 



As I have gone through these recommendations, you have seen in 

 effect, really, the plan of the report itself, how it developed, how we 

 chose in the end to present our case. 



At the outset, we propose the transfer of certain existing agencies 

 to form the nucleus of the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Agency. These would include the U.S. Coast Guard, now within the 

 Department of Transportation ; the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, 

 Department of Interior ; the Environmental Science Services Admin- 

 istration, Department of Commerce ; and the U.S. lake survey of the 

 Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, NOAA, as it has been called, 

 would assume responsibility for the national sea grant program, the 

 National Oceanographic Data Center, those programs of the Bureau 

 of Sport Fisheries which relate particularly to marine and anadromous 

 fisheries, possibly also in due time the National Center for Atmospheric 

 Research and support for the U.S. Antarctic research program. 



But the spirit of our intent is one of building, not of reshuffling. The 

 design of this new civil agency has been governed by the dimensions 

 of the task that lies before us. We have proposed only such transfers as 

 will manifestly contribute to the achievement of our stated goals. And 

 we are convinced that whether it be the Coast Guard or ESSA, the 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries or the sea grant program, each will 

 itself gain in strength and in effectiveness. Each will find its own mis- 

 sion broadening and deepening. Out of unity will come a new coherence 

 of effort, a sharing of resources, and a sense of common interest and 

 purpose. 



The whole idea here is one of mutual reinforcement, of expanding 

 the capabilities of each one of these elements, and making possible a 

 wider use of their resources. We are not pretending that this will re- 

 d.uce the costs. We do believe that we will gain enormously in the effec- 

 tiveness with which the larger task we have laid out before you will be 

 accomplished. 



The deliberations of this Commission have been marked by a par- 

 ticular concern for the encouragement of private investment enterprise 

 in exploration, technological development, marine commerce, and the 



