208 



once again, in the case of a deadlock on an issue, the Secretary remains 

 the final authority and court of last resort. 



Section 312. Advisory Committee 



The Secretary is directed to establish a 15-member Coastal Zone 

 Management Advisory Committee to advise, consult with, and make 

 recommendations to the Secretary on policy matters concerning the 

 coastal zone. The Committee can serve an important function in ex- 

 tending Federal-State relationships and provide a coordinating mech- 

 anism for parties involved in coastal zone management. At the same 

 time it can make recommendations and review Federal policy. It may 

 serve other functions as the Secretary may designate. 

 Section 315. Estuarine sanctuaries 



The Secretary is authorized to make grants up to 50 percent of the 

 costs of acquisition, development, and operation of estuarine sanc- 

 tuaries. These sanctuaries would allow for the creation of field labo- 

 ratories to gather data and make studies of the natural processes oc- 

 curring in the estuaries. The act authorizes $6 million for the initial 

 year's operation of this section and limits the Federal share to no 

 more than $2 million for any one estuarine acquisition. Federal ad- 

 ministrative grant funds for implementing the State coastal zone 

 management program under section 306 may not be used to provide the 

 State share of the costs of the estuarine sanctuaries under this section. 



The committee envisions such sanctuaries as natural areas set aside 

 primarily to provide scientists the opportunity to make baseline eco- 

 logical measurements. Such measurements will be essential to many 

 coastal and estuarine zone management decisions that will have to be 

 made, as well as helping to predict the impact of human intervention 

 on the natural ecology. These sanctuaries should not be chosen at ran- 

 dom, but should reflect regional differentiation and a variety of eco- 

 systems so as to cover all significant natural variations. 



Scientific research and ecological data can aid significantly in pro- 

 viding a rational basis for intelligent management of the coastal and 

 estuarine zone. In addition, such sanctuaries could be used to monitor 

 vital changes in the estuaries environment; or forecast possible de- 

 terioration from anticipated activities. Dr. Eugene Odum, director 

 of the Institute of Ecology, University of Georgia, likened estuarine 

 sanctuaries to "pilot plants": "Scientists have to have 'pilot plants' 

 to check out broad theories on a large environmental scale, just as an 

 industrialist would not want to market a product directly from a 

 laboratory; he would want to have a 'pilot plant' study first." (Com- 

 mittee on Commerce hearings, "Federal Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Orsranization." Pt. 2, serial No. 91-59, at p. 1254.) 



The choice of estuarine sanctuaries entails many difficulties. How- 

 ever, where baseline ecological studies of natural conditions are de- 

 sired, estuaries without much development, industry or habitation in 

 the watershed arens would be desirable. Dr. Joel Hedgpeth of Oregon 

 State University com.mented on some possible locations : 



In southern California, for example, there is nothing left. 

 In northern California, Tomales Bay, which misrht not fit 

 some definitions, is an ideal candidate because of the 10 years 

 of study that has been carried out there and the circumstances 

 that one entire shore (almost) is within control of the Point 

 Reves National Seashore. There are some interesting lagoons 



