729 



pointed out the ne«d for effectiv'e public policies to guide the use of 

 ocean resources. Senate Resolution 222 was enacted to provide legisla- 

 tive proposals to deal with these jx)licy issues. The National Ocean 

 Policy Study, which was created under the committee's aegis by the 

 resolution, selected as one of its first areas of investigation the energy 

 potential of the Outer Continental Shelf and the impact of energy 

 development and energy facilities upon the coastal zone. Subsequently, 

 the National Ocean Policy Study produced four rejwrts bearing on 

 this issue: (1) "Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Development 

 and the Coastal Zone"; (2) "Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas 

 Leasing Off Southern California : Analysis of Issues" ; (3) "North Sea 

 Oil and Gas: Impacts of Development on the Coastal Zone"; (4) "An 

 Analysis of the Dejjartment of the Interior's Proposed Acceleration 

 of Development of Oil and Gas on the Outer Continental Shelf." 

 Among the key findings of these reports were : 



1. There is a strong likelihood of adverse, often severe, impacts 

 within coastal regions resulting from unplanned, uncoordinated energy 

 resource development and from the siting of facilities related to energy 

 production, development, and utilization. 



2. There is very little coordination or communication between Fed- 

 eral agencies and the affected coastal States prior to major energy 

 resource development decisions, such as the decision to lease large 

 tracts of the OCS for oil and gas. Further, coastal States often have 

 been criticized unfairly for delaying the siting of energy facilities 

 when such action often is the result of lack of information and 

 planning. 



3. Full implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 

 1972 and recognition of its capability to solve energy- related conflicts 

 could go far to institute the broad objectives of Federal-State co- 

 operative planning envisioned by the framers of the act. The National 

 Environmental Policy Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act are 

 the two primary planning devices to achieve balanced land use and 

 environmental protection in coastal regions. 



History of the Coastal Zone Management Act 



Passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act in 1972 followed sev- 

 eral years of increasing concern about the destruction of valuable 

 coastal wetlands and beaches. The public first became aware in the 

 1960's that the coastal areas of the country, including the Great Lakes, 

 represent some of our most valuable national assets. At that time scien- 

 tists published reports describing the amazing productivity of estua- 

 rine areas. Researchers found these coastal waters to be 5 or 10 times 

 more biologically productive than average agricultural lands. Estu- 

 aries, it was noted, provide tlie breeding gr-ound for most of the im- 

 portant commercial fisheries in the country and are habitats for many 

 species of wildlife.' 



The committee was further persuaded of the need for such assistance 

 by a report of the Technology Assessment Advisory Council of the 

 Congrei5sional Office of Technology Assessment, which stated, 



1 Typical of the reports of this period were "Estuaries" by George Lauff, published 

 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and "The Theory of the 

 Estuarine P'oosystem in Relation to Use, Mana^em^'nt. and Pollution," by E. P. Odura 

 In a presentation to the National Estuarine Pollution Study. 



