909 

 23 



With this dispute settled, the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 

 went on to final passage in both House and Senate and acceptance by 

 the Administration. The measure was signed on October 27, 1972, and 

 became Public Law 92-583. 



Because a disposition for a nationwide land use planning measure 

 continued among Administration leaders, initial funding of the 

 coastal zone program was held up. A task force was set up within 

 NOAA after passage of the coastal zone law using existing funds to 

 begin preparation for administering the program, but the first actual 

 appropriation was not forthcoming until December 1973. 



The first matching grants to states to begin development of coastal 

 zone programs were made in March 1974. By the end of the fiscal year, 

 27 states and one territory had voluntarily submitted applications for 

 funding. Also during the initial period of operation, the nation's first 

 estuarine sanctuary grant was made under section 312 of the coastal 

 zone act to the state of Oregon to set aside a portion of a bay and sur- 

 rounding lands to serve as a natural laboratory for scientists. 



The 93rd Congress considered and passed the only amendments to 

 the coastal zone program to date, essentially technical changes to pro- 

 vide needed flexibility in administering the program and to extend the 

 authorization for the estuarine sanctuary program to fiscal year 1977 

 to make it conform with the other funding authorizations in the 

 program. 



Because of the success in its initial operation, Congress also acted to 

 increase the amount of money available for program development 

 from $9 million a year to $12 million. President Ford signed the bill 

 on January 2, 1975 (Public Law 93-612). 



The coastal zone program in 1975 provided funding to 33 of the 34 

 eligible states and territories. For most states, work entered the second 

 year of the three-year development phase authorized under section 305. 



One state, Washington, submitted its management program during 

 the year in an attempt to become the first to receive final approval from 

 the Secretary of Commerce and thereby be made eligible for program 

 management assistance under section 306 of this act. The program was 

 found to have certain elements to be incomplete. Nonetheless, the over- 

 all design of the program, its treatment of areas of special concern, its 

 administrative setup and legal authorities and all other major ele- 

 ments necessary for approval, were found to be acceptable. The Wash- 

 ington program received "preliminary approval" in May 1975, by 

 which was meant that as soon as all of the elements in the program 

 were actually implemented, the state would in fact receive final ap- 

 proval. This is anticipated to take place in mid- 1976. 



The Office of Coastal Zone Management has received several other 

 completed programs and expects to be able to process one or more to 

 final approval soon. 



In November 1974, with the national energy crisis requiring new 

 initiatives, President Ford endorsed the coastal zone program as the 

 vehicle to plan for the onshore impacts that will come from the Ad- 

 ministration's program to expand Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas 

 operations. Speaking to the coastal state governors on November 13, 

 the President said : 



