209 



in northern California, just north of Eureka. In Oregon the 

 most likely candidate seems to be Alesea Bay, but Netarts is 

 also a good candidate. In Texas the Baffin Bay region of the 

 Laguna Madre, and perhaps Copano Bay should be consid- 

 ered * * *. (Committee on Commerce hearings, "Federal 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Organization." Pt. 2, serial No. 

 91-59, at p. 1258.) 



Dr. B. J. Copeland of North Carolina State University recom- 

 mended that "sanctuaries should be established to enable studying 

 estuaries of various ecological types and under various ambient con- 

 ditions", and gave these examples : 



A. Oligohaline estuary— Pamlico River, N.C. 



B. Medium salinity plankton system — Chesapeake Bay, Md, 



C. Tropical Estuary— Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii. 



D. Oyster Reef, grass flat — Barataria Bay, La. 



E. Lagoon— Laguna Madre (Baffin Bay) , Tex. 



F. West coast — plankton system— Yaquina Bay, Oreg. (Com- 

 mittee on Commerce hearings, "Federal Oceanic and Atmospheric 

 Organization," Pt. 2 serial No. 91-59 at p. 1259.) 



Dr. Copeland stated that these types represent most of the estuaries 

 in the United States with the exception of minor ones on rocky coasts 

 and those in the Arctic. 



The Committee is convinced that sound coastal zone management 

 must be based upon basic ecological considerations, and to this end are 

 persuaded by tlie statement of Mr. Sydney Howe, president of the 

 Conservation Foundation : 



Traditionally, land-use planning is based largely on eco- 

 nomic engineering, design and transportation concepts that 

 consider natural processes only partially and indirectly. The 

 science of ecology' — "the systems analysis of nature" is con- 

 cerned with the impact of man upon natural processes and the 

 total consequences, including the effects on man and his works. 



* * * fNJational policy for coastal management [should 

 be] to give a priority to those uses which are compatible with 

 the productive functioning of coastal natural systems and 

 which cannot be provided elsewhere, and that where devel- 

 opment is permitted it should be designed to minimize dam- 

 age to these natural systems. Such decisions cannot be made 

 without some understanding of these systems. Ecological 

 knowledge, in short, should be a fundamental and initial 

 basis of coastal zone planning and management. 



Our own experience with ecologically based development 

 planning already has shown that in many situations it is pos- 

 ble to minimize adverse impacts of development and maxi- 

 mize developmental benefits if one can understand the natural 

 systems affected. This kind of understanding is particularly 

 important in coastal situations where filling, dredging, dis- 

 charging of wastes, mining, obstruction of tidal or current 

 flows, or removing of vegetation may generate unforeseen de- 

 structive effects on highly desirable and useful functions and 

 forms of life elsewhere in the system. (Committee on Com- 

 merce hearings, "Federal Oceanic and Atmospheric Organi- 

 zation." Pt. 2, serial No. 91 59 at p. 972.) 



