510 



and the Great Lakes, goes back to the earliest days of the Republic, starting with, 

 coastal fortification, construction of piers and seawalls, removal of obstructions 

 to navigation, protection of islands and beaches, and deepening and maintaining 

 harbors and tidal watercourses. Ove the years, the Congress has charged the 

 Corps with ever-widening responsibilities in the coastal zone. 



The Corps principal responsibilities today may be categorized as : ( 1 ) granting- 

 permits to see that the public interest is protected in all construction activities 

 in navigable waters and (2) planning, designing, constructing, operating and' 

 maintaining engineering works in the coastal waters and in the Great Lakes. 

 These engineering works include harbors, Great Lakes waterways, intra-coastal 

 waterways, interoceanic canals, hurricane barriers, shore stabilization works,, 

 and the restoration of eroded beaches and shores. 



I was favorably Impressed by the magnitude and "breadth of the Commission's 

 report. It is indeed bringing into focus many of the most important aspects of 

 our Nation's current and future involvement with the marine environment. 



I agree with the Commission on the great importance of Federal-State and' 

 interagency coordination and cooperation in the coastal zone and have long em- 

 phasized this aspect of our responsibilities. 



With the States, we have enjoyed a mutually-beneficial relationship. As you 

 know, it has been longstanding Army policy not to grant a permit to any private 

 interest if the State objects and to recommend a project only if it has been ap- 

 proved by the State concerned. At the formative stage we, along with many other 

 Federal agencies, participate jointly with the States in the major, long-range, 

 comprehensive, Federal-State, interagency planning program of the Water Re- 

 sources Council for the Nation's water resources, both coastal and non-coastal. 

 The Army is also the Chairman of the Comprehensive, Federal-State, Chesapeake 

 Bay Study and a key member in each of the Federal-State river basin commis- 

 sions, now existing in 1.5 of the 30 coastal states. We also had membership in the 

 landmark San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and 

 numerous other Federal-State groups. 



Within the Federal Government, the Army has established formal means of 

 coordinating with the most concerned Federal agencies before any decision oq 

 permits is made. In addition to the extensive interagency coordination required 

 in the normal course of business, the Army has also been a key participant in the 

 coastal aspects of the Marine Council's activities. Similarly, the Army regularly 

 participates in the interagency deliberations of the Water Resources Council 

 which seek to insure that the inland and coastal water resource activities of the 

 Federal Government are appropriately interrelated. 



We look forward to continuing this role of coopei'ation and coordination within? 

 the Federal Government and with the States. 

 Sincerely yours, 



William F. Cassidy, 

 Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, 



Chief of Engineers. 



National Academy op Sciences, 



National Research Council, 

 Committee on Oceanography, 

 Washington, B.C., May IS, 1969. 

 Hon. Alton A. Lennon, 



U.S. House of Representatives, Rayturn House Office Building, 

 Washington, B.C. 



Dear Mr. Lennon : The Committee on Oceanography is pleased to respond ta 

 your letter of 2.5 April asking for our views on the recent Report of the Com- 

 mission on Marine Science, Engineering and Resources. We have discussed tihe 

 Commission's Report, "Our Nation and the Sea" extensively at our January and 

 March meetings. Our preliminary statement, based on these discussions, follows. 

 As the Panel reports of the Commission become available, we will continue our 

 review of the Commission Report and will look forward to the opportunity to 

 comment in detail when public hearings are held by your Committee. 



The Commission on Marine Science, Engineering and Resources has produced 

 a milestone report. The Committee on Oceanography concurs in the Commission's 

 conclusion that: 



