103 



5. Those functions not concerned with resources and environment 

 should be transferred out of the Department of Interior. 



My thinking as expressed in my remarks is not unique to me. May I 

 call attention to an editorial by Ross L. Shipman on page 9 of the 

 March 1969 issue of the American Geological Institute's publication 

 "Geotimes." I believe you have copies of this publication. 



Mr. Chairman, I request that the editorial on page 9 be placed in 

 the record. 



Mr. Lennon. Without objection, it is in the record at this time. 



Captain Bauer. Thank you, sir. 



(The editorial follows:) 



[From the Geotimes, March 1969] 



Environmental Sciences 



Man's future is directly related to his wise use of natural resources and to the 

 protection and improvement of his environment. This should be a primary con- 

 cern of governments : Federal, state, and local. 



The Federal government's responsibility for natural resources and environmen- 

 tal studies is now in several departments and independent agencies. The Depart- 

 ment of the Interior, which has the prime interest in this area, includes the 

 U. S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Water Pollution Con- 

 trol Administration, Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Office of 

 Coal Research, Office of Minerals & Solid Fuels, Office of Oil & Gas, Office of 

 Water Resources Research, Oil Import Administration, and Office of Saline 

 Water. However, other departments are also involved in environmental work ; they 

 include the Department of Commerce through its Environmental Science Services 

 Administration, which includes the Coast & Geodetic Survey and the Weather 

 Bureau ; the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and Soil Conservation 

 Service; the Department of Health, Education & Welfare and its Bureau of 

 Environmental Control ; the Department of Transportation's Coast Guard (with 

 functions in oceanography). There is also an indei)endent office for Coal Mine 

 Safety, the Naval Oceanographic Office, and the Fe'deral Power Commission, 

 which regulates all natural-gas activity. 



On Jan. 11, the Commission on Marine Science, Engineering & Resources recom- 

 mended that the Government establish a major civilian agency for Federal civil 

 marine and atmospheric programs and to transfer certain existing programs to the 

 new agency. The new agency, which would be called the National Oceanic & At- 

 mospheric Agency, would consolidate functions and prevent duplication of effort 

 and the inherent waste of money. 



To some extent, the ideas proposed by the Commission are sound. However, 

 some functions, such as marine geology, marine biology, commercial fishing, 

 estuarine development, and the work of the Coast Guard, are alike only in that 

 they are 'wet' and related to the environment. The environment's relation is the 

 primary concern. If 'wet' environmental functions are unified as recommended, 

 unification of all environmental functions is even more important. The various 

 functions of the Federal government should be brought together in a coordinated 

 approach to natural resources and the environment. This is important enough to 

 justify a department, not merely an agency, bureau or commission. 



One approach might be to use the present Department of Interior under a 

 different name, combining the environmental functions of the other departments 

 and the independent offices into the new department, transferring things like 

 Indian Affairs and Job Corps Coordination to the Department of Health, Edu- 

 cation & Welfare making the Office of Territories an independent office, and put- 

 ting the power administrations (Alaska, BonneviUe, Southwestern and South- 

 eastern) in the Federal Power Commission. 



The new department would not necessarily increase Federal manpower or ex- 

 penditure nor would it jeopardize jobs or functions. Critical efforts to protect 

 the nation's environment while fully developing our natural resources could be 

 better directed if all efforts are coordinated and not competitive. The change- 

 over could be made without major disruptions. 



When the Federal government demonstrates its concern for the environment, 

 the state governments could be expected more reasonably to accept efforts to up- 

 grade quality of water and air and to promote soil conservation, mine controls 



