819 



Perhaps the most important feature of this bill is that, for the first 

 time, recognition is given to State and local governments in our Fed- 

 eral energy program. They will become partners with the Federal 

 Government in the development of our offshore oil and gas fields, and 

 they will be doing so in a manner which will protect the irreplaceable 

 coastal zones of our Nation. 



In my opinion, this bill represents one of the most important energy 

 programs which this Congress has had before it. Let us delay no longer 

 in meeting our responsibilities to the citizens of this country. 



Mr. MosHER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield ? 



Mr. Du Pont. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio. 



Mr. MosHER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to join wholeheartedly 

 with the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. du Pont) in his cornments 

 concerning our delightful chairman, the gentlewoman from Missouri 

 (Mrs. Sullivan). 



It certainly has been a joy for me to work with her these many years, 

 and I hope that she will enjoy her retirement as much as Mrs. Mosher 

 and I intend to enjoy ours. 



Mr. Chairman, I am in full support of H.R. 3981, proposed amend- 

 ments to the Coastal Zone Management Act. 



Reaching the accommodations of various viewpoints in order to per- 

 fect this bill was not easy. I especially salute our colleagues, the gentle- 

 men from New York (Mr. Murphy), the gentleman from Delaware 

 (Mr. du Pont), and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Forsythe), 

 and the staff members who liave worked with them, for accomplishing 

 that which at times seemed impossible but so very important and 

 necessary. 



Mr. Chairman, the coastal areas of our Nation are extremely valu- 

 able resources. They are in real danger of becoming overly developed 

 and eventually destroyed, if action is not taken to assure proper 

 planning and management. The Congress recognized this in 1972, 

 when we originally passed the CZM Act. 



As a result of that act, during the past 3 years we have seen signif- 

 icant progress made in many States, progress toward wise and prudent 

 use of their respective coastal zones. 



The original act established a voluntary — and I stress the word 

 voluntary — Federal grant program to assist coastal States in the de- 

 velopment and eventual implementation of comprehensive and in- 

 dividual coastal zone management plans. 



Even though the original act did not create a mandatory scheme, 

 every coastal State of our Nation now has chosen to take part in the 

 coastal zone program. This in itself is a very meaningful endorsement 

 of the 1972 act, since States must provide one-third of the total de- 

 velopment cost. 



The original stimulus for the Coastal Zone Management Act case as 

 a result of recommendations made by the Presidential Commission on 

 Marine Science, Engineering and Resources in 1969. I had the honor 

 of serving on that Commission during its 2-year study, and I recall 

 some of the reasoning used when we made our recommendations. For 

 example, it was found that less than 10 percent of our total land area 

 was considered to be coastal in nature, and yet over 40 percent of our 

 population resided in the coastal zones. We found that the coastal 



