214 



The act which the bill proposes to amend was approved June 17, 

 1966, and is codified in 33 U.S.C. 1101 et seq. Consequently, line 8 on 

 page 1 of tlie bill should be changed to read "approved June 17, 1966, 

 as amended (33 U.S.C. 1101 etseq.)." 



Page 6, line 3, of the bill refers to "Sec. 306." This should be changed 

 to "Sec. 305." 



Page 19, line 4, of the bill refers to "Sec. 313." This should be 

 changed to "Sec. 314" and the following section appropriately 

 renumbered. 



Section 304(b), page 5, defines coastal and estuarine zone as extend- 

 ing seaward to the outer limit of the U.S. territorial sea. The Interna- 

 tional Convention on the Continental Shelf recognizes the sovereign 

 rights of the coastal nation to explore the shelf and exploit its natural 

 resources. Therefore, the committee may wish to consider redefining 

 the coastal and estuarine zone to include the Continental Shelf which 

 the Convention defines as "the seabed and subsoil of the submarine 

 areas adjacent to the coast but outside the area of the territorial sea, 

 to a depth of 200 meters, or, beyond that limit, to where the depth of 

 the superjacent waters admits of the exploitation of the natural re- 

 sources of the said areas" and "the seabed and subsoil of similar 

 submarine areas adjacent to the coast of islands." 



Section 304(c), page 5, defines "Coastal State" as including Puerto 

 Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the District of 

 Columbia. We assume it is not intended to include the Trust Territory 

 of the Pacific Islands and the Panama Canal Zone. 



Section 305(a), page 6, of the bill authorizes the Secretary of Com- 

 merce to make annual grants to any coastal State in the development 

 of a management plan and program for the land and water resources 

 of the coastal and estuarine zone, provided that no such grant shall be 

 made under this subsection until the Secretary finds that the coastal 

 State is adequately and expeditiously developing such management 

 plan and program. 



This provision appears to preclude grants to States which have not 

 yet started to develop a management plan and program. The commit- 

 tee may wish to consider language changes which would allow States 

 which have not started to develop a management plan and program 

 to receive grants for the purpose of developing a management plan 

 and program. 



Section 306(a), page 7, of the bill anthorizes the Secretary to make 

 annual grants to any coastal State for not more than 66% per centum 

 of the costs of administering the coastal State's management plan and 

 program. Section 306(c) (4). page 8, of this bill states that the Gor- 

 ernor shall designate a single agency to receive and administer tlie 

 grants for implementing the management plan and program. It is not 

 clear whether the grants issued under this section are intended to cover 

 the costs of administering the management plan and program or if 

 these grants are solely intended as operating grants for the implemen- 

 tation of the management plan and program. The committee may Vvish 

 to clarify this language. 



Section 306(b) , page 7, of tlie bill states that grants shall be allotted 

 to the States with approved plans and programs based on regulations 

 of the Secretary. This provision may not result in an equitable distri- 

 bution of funds to each of the coastal States in that under section 



