365 



I want to emphasize, Mr. Chairman, that this legislation is truly 

 national in scope. In addition to States bordering the Nation's coast, 

 it will also provide for the active participation by the Great Lakes 

 States, or a total of 30 States out of the 50 and four possessions or 

 territories who are fundamentally concerned and involved and will 

 participate. 



I want to emphasize, Mr. Chairman, that we are talking today about 

 the most dynamic and growing area of our Nation. Approximately, 

 today, 75 percent of the Nation's population lives within the zone that 

 we are discussing which encompasses approximately 100,000 statute 

 miles of interior and exterior shoreline. 



On the actual shoreline itself, approximately 65 million of the 

 Nation's population are living and working, and there, industrial and 

 recreational activities are placing unprecedented pressure upon these 

 coastal areas. 



As the population increases, these pressures will mount and become 

 intolerable; unless rapid action — such as envisioned in this bill — is 

 taken, these pressures will also become destructive, because competi- 

 tion for use of the remaining land areas in coastal zones will also 

 increase; industrial and economic interests are already headed on a 

 collision course with environmental interests, and the States will be 

 caught in the middle, with no rational plan and no capability to cope 

 with the situation. 



Actually, the States are already experiencing these tremendous pres- 

 sures — and those who live in a coastal State know what I am address- 

 ing myself to. Entire stretches of once beautiful shoreline have been 

 engulfed and covered with concrete to meet the demands of ever- 

 expanding metropolitan areas; the proximity of water and a stable 

 labor sources has lured more heavy industry to the shorelines ; marine 

 terminals and dredging for harbor channels have added to the de- 

 struction ; and, ironically, the people who work for these industries — 

 with more affluence and more leisure time than ever before — are de- 

 scending upon the shores and beaches, the rivers and bays in a great 

 and hungry quest for relaxation and recreation, and they find it in 

 swimming, and fishing, and boating. 



And yet, the very industries that provide these people with their 

 new wealth and leisure are polluting the rivers and bays and gobbling 

 up the last remaining, unspoiled areas that should be preserved for 

 recreational and esthetic uses — such as wildlife refuges. The wildlife 

 and the fish, which breed and spawn in these coastal areas are also 

 being decimated by the encroachments and relentless demands of our 

 industrially oriented society. 



It is just part of human nature and we understand it. This legislation 

 has a rational, fair, even-balanced approach. That is the reason we 

 bring it here today. 



What is the answer ? How can these opposing interests of conserva- 

 tion and recreation on one hand and industry and urbanization on the 

 other both be satisfied? It is a perplexing question. We think we have 

 certainly the first giant step of the right answer in this legislation. Is 

 it possible to maintain our high economic standards tlirough more 

 industrial development and continued urban expansion — and at the 

 same time, conserve our precious and beautiful natural resources for 



