391 



contained in the National Petroleum Council's recent report on "Pe- 

 troleum Reserves TTnder the Ocean Floor" to the Department of the 

 Interior. 



Furthermore, the coastal States and the Federal Government need to 

 settle offshore jurisdictional claims much more expeditiously than 

 heretofore and to establish property rights in leasing the ocean bed 

 out for development to encourage aquaculture and other marine opera- 

 tions on our Continental Shelf and along our coasts. Private industry 

 needs to have property rights established for it to commit funds. 



In conclusion, I would emphasize again that the Government basic- 

 ally "has the ball" right now. Even though there are obviously other 

 vital programs pressing for Government funds, still an organization 

 could be established now as a start, by forming NACO to work with 

 the Council during its 1-year extension period. 



The further organization of the Government for its oceanographic 

 program could then be planned under the direction of a new agency, 

 either as part of a newly formed Department of Natural Resources or 

 as an independent agency appointed by and reporting to the President. 



One final thought that is not in the prepared remarks. 



It is important for Congress to centralize in its committee structure 

 its handling of oceanography and marine-related programs and per- 

 haps the focus in the House rightfully belongs here in this Subcom- 

 mittee for Oceanography. 



Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Chairman, and members of the 

 committee, to appear before you. 



Mr. Lennon. Thank you, Mr. Clark. 



We hope to agree with you ultimately that the jurisdiction and au- 

 thority will be not necessarily in this subcommittee but in this general 

 committee, at least ; because of the agencies that are proposed to go into 

 NOAA this committee or the subcommittee has jurisdiction of all of 

 them except ESSA and actually we have jurisdiction over part of 

 ESSA. 



The gentleman from Washington, Mr. Pelly. 



Mr. Pelly. Mr. Chairman, I would like to say to Mr. Clark that I 

 agree with you almost 100 percent in your approach to this problem. 



I have listened to you with tremendous interest. I could not find 

 anything with which I could quarrel at all. On one point, however, I 

 don't recall that the Commission in its consideration of either the 50- 

 mile or the 200-meter mark ever went so far as to make a definite recom- 

 mendation. I thought that their program called for clarifying the 

 vagueness in this field. 



Mr. Clark. Maybe I might be allowed to address myself to that 

 comment, sir. 



The Commission did make, as I understand, and I am not a lawyer, 

 did make a recommendation of exclusive sovereignty over the natural 

 resources at 50 miles or 200-meter depth, whichever embraced the 

 larger area. Then they went on and proposed an intermediate zone 

 which I believe would be composed or 2,500 meters o,r 100 miles, which- 

 ever embraced the larger area, and that the coastal State would have 

 the right of access to this but that an international registry agency 

 would be formed and an international funding organization also would 

 be established to which certain royalties on any natural resources that 



