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population, experience the squeeze between conflicting demands for 

 use with great intensity. The fragile ecological chain, with its complex 

 string of interconnections between plant, animal, and human life there, 

 is being irrevocably damaged. The crush of population growth further 

 increases the pressure on the finite resources of the coastal areas. We 

 have taken from the coastal zones in a helter-skelter pattern of devel- 

 opment, without serious thought to the longrange consequences of our 

 actions. The affluent society grows, and the coastal zone suffers. 



As with any areas of environmental concern, solutions do not come 

 easily. Sitting here in Congress, v/e cannot merely reach for simple 

 answers. We cannot deal with one aspect of the environmental system 

 ivithout examining all of its parts. It would be irresponsible and 

 unproductive for us to impose the proper course for handling our 

 •coastal zones. 



The value of this bill is that it recognizes this reality, and places 

 basic management in the hands of State and local authorities most 

 familiar with the needs of their areas. Armed with the assistance of 

 Scientific, environmental, economic, and social advisers, these officials 

 can develop the most feasible local plan for managing coastal lands 

 and waters. 



Without abandoning our responsibility to set national goals and 

 expectations for policy in this area, the bill accomplishes this dele- 

 gation of authority essential to sound management practice. 



However, it is not without some reservation that I vote for this 

 measure. I recognize that it provides grants and guidelines for plan- 

 ning State management programs, and does not provide comprehensive 

 coastal area protection. Thus, I vote for the coastal zone management 

 bill with the hope that it does not become just another trumpeted plan- 

 ning bill without subsequent substantive action. It is essential for Con- 

 gress to follow through on its commitment to national coastal area 

 policy while maintaining State authority over local policy formu- 

 lation. We cannot allow this bill to join those other high-sounding Fed- 

 eral programs we have abandoned in midstream. We must fight the 

 remainder of this environmental battle. 



ISTevertheless, the policy statement in this bill is clear: programs 

 must "give full consideration to ecological, cultural, historic, and 

 esthetic values as well as to needs for economic development." In 

 other words, social and ecological concerns will be weighed in the 

 balance sheet of coastal zone development. We are now paying the 

 costs of disregarding these factors in past cost-benefit analyses, creat- 

 ing what is generally recognized as an environmental crisis. By ac- 

 knowledging the importance of the environmental factors, this bill 

 achieves the balance essential to the continuation of human life on this 

 fragile and threatened planet. 



Another critical concern when dealing vdth features of our environ- 

 ment is the need for regional planning. Coastal waters flow freely 

 across State boundaries, affecting many jurisdictions. The principle 

 of compatible land uses applies to the entire stretch of coastal land, ir- 

 respective of legally created dividing lines. Clearly the answer is co- 

 ordination between various jurisdictions in the planning of coastal 

 zone management. This bill embodies that ideal in a national policy 

 to encourage cooperative regional and joint action. Although these pro- 

 visions might not provide the strongest means to overcome jurisdic- 

 tional difficulties, it is a forthright and workable recognition that this 



