110 



it is taking place, but I havon't seen any statistics that could be used 

 for purposes of getting a funding level of $20 million, and I wonder 

 if you would have access to such statistics ? 



Dr. NiERENBERG. Ycs, I do. Let me quote one. It is not strictly on the 

 [)oint I was talking about, but it is related to it. There is a very striking 

 statistic. We have beaches running from the northern California bor- 

 der all the way to the tip of Baja, California, some of the most beauti- 

 ful in the world. "We are losing approximately 10 miles of each a year 

 because of mismanagement of this resource. That is quite a statistic. 

 Even with the 500 miles of beach, that is quite a loss, and we are losing 

 it two ways. That is because of the mismanagement of this extraordi- 

 narily valuable resource. 



Dr. Douglas Inman, who can account for everv grain of sand that 

 has gone on or off the beaches of California since 1900, there is a 

 straightforward figure, and that will keep going on until we get tight 

 control of this very valuable resource. 



Senator Tuxxey. Because of the exponential growth, we assume 

 that within a year or 2 or 3 that the 10 miles per year would increase. 



Dr. Nierexberg. It is very complex, Mr. Chairman. The beach loss 

 is actually worse than 10 miles a year, but the reason the net loss isn't 

 as bad as it might be is because of the constiiiction of marinas where 

 sand is scooped out which allows replacement of the sand lost on the 

 beaches. The marinas themselves are a disaster, but that is another 

 question. The sand replacement has slowed down what would be much 

 worse. 



When the marinas stop building, this beach loss will accelerate. 

 They supply the sand deficiency, to some degree. So this loss of beach 

 is in the face of this replenishment is an example. 



But the figure I am giving vou is an accurate figure, and it is a verv 

 bad one. 



Senator Tuxxey. "WHien will your official report to the Congress be 

 issued ? 



Dr. Nierexberg. I am speaking now as the chairman of the National 

 Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere. I hope that by 

 Tuesday our report will be finished. But unfortunately on the first 

 of July, it goes to the Secretary of Commerce, and he has up to 90 

 days to write a point-by-point reply, and then both our report and 

 the point-bv-point rei^ly go to the President and to the Congress. 



Senator Tuxxey. Then it will be made public ? 



Dr. NiEREX^BERG. Yes, sir. 



Senator Tuxxey. Dr. Nierenberg, I personally very deeply appre- 

 ciate your coming back, particularly taking the Redeye, that tjeing 

 the night flight, from California to te.stify. There is no question but 

 that your expertise is world-recognized in this area, and I think you 

 have made a very valuable contribution to our deliberations. 



I couldn't agree more with what you said. T think that it is a tragedy 

 that we are' not making moneys available in this area. l)ecause once 

 you lose the beach, once you lose the estuaries, there is no hope of 

 reclaiming them in their active form, at least, and I just can't under- 

 stand why we cannot make funds available in this particular area, 

 and we are not talking in the overall Federal budget about all that 

 mucli money. 



