But such a district would have problems 

 common to all special-purpose government agen- 

 cies. It would be difficult to create a governing 

 body truly responsible to the regional public. 

 Funding would be difficult. It would continue the 

 proliferation of government agencies, bringing 

 further fragmentation of public authority and 

 increasing unnecessary competition among govern- 

 ments for funds and power. 



Alternatively, a multi-purpose government 

 agency could be created with responsibility not 

 only to cany out coastal plans but to solve other 

 regional problems: solid waste disposal, acquisition 

 and operation of regional parks and open space, 

 control of air and water pollution, and area-wide 

 transportation needs. A comprehensive agency 

 could weigh a region's various needs, allocating 

 priorities to programs of greatest importance and 

 striving for a balance among them. A multi- 

 purpose agency could do a better job of coordi- 

 nating and accommodating competing uses. 



Such an agency would be more difficult to 

 create than a single-purpose district because it 

 would incur resistance from agencies or units of 

 government that might be modified or absorbed 

 into the comprehensive agency 



Examples of existing agencies are the San 

 Francisco Bay Conservation and Development 

 Commission' " and the Oceanographic Committee 

 of the Nassau-Suffolk Regional Planning Board 

 (New York).* ' Established primarily for planning 

 purposes, each was given sufficient powers to 

 affect its respective area profoundly. Both have 

 recommended establishment of a regional author- 

 ity. 



In the final analysis, the form and make-up 

 should be left to the State, but Federal and local 

 government interests must be safeguarded. 



The San Francisco Bay Commission was established 

 (BCDC) by the State legislature in 1965 to prepare a 

 comprehensive and enforceable plan for conservation of 

 the waters of the Bay and development of the shores. 

 During its administration it was granted management 

 powers. The Commission has produced a series of 22 

 authoritative reports. The tentative recommendations of 

 the BCDC include a regional agency with powers to plan 

 and regulate the Bay as a unit. See Appendix D. 



The Oceanographic Committee of the Nassau-Suffolk 

 Regional Planning Board was established in 1965 by the 

 two Long Island, New York counties. Having no absolute 

 powers, its authority is derived from an export advisory 

 capacity in planning, zoning, and regulatory matters of 

 the bi-county coastal zone. Its first report is entitled The 

 Status and Potential of the Marine Environment, De- 

 cember 1966. 



V. COASTAL ZONE AUTHORITY 



Development of the coastal management sys- 

 tem proposed by this report envisions that the 

 action role be vested in the State through a State 

 agency which we call a Coastal Zone Authority. 



The functions of the Coastal Zone Authority 



are: 



—Planning the utilization of coastal and lakeshore 

 waters and lands 



—Encouraging the development of these areas in 

 the public interest 



—Resolving conflicts through public processes: 

 regulation, zoning, and acquisition 



-Studies and continuing research to maintain 

 plans and decisions with requirements and trends. 



The magnitude of coastal problems varies with 

 the area, and States will evolve different ways of 

 handling them. As noted in the previous section, 

 not all Coastal Zone Authorities need or should 

 have the same form. However, regardless of the 

 form of authority, guidelines must be responsive 

 to public interest and National policies set forth 

 earlier. 



An agency or authority thus established would 

 serve to convert the National interests into action 

 programs. It should possess the following powers: 



—Planning— authority to continue research and 

 planning necessary for informed decision-making 



—Regulation— power to grant or withhold permits 

 for coastal land and water use and, in addition, 

 some authority to require that lands adjoining the 

 coastline be used for purposes compatible with its 

 overall plan 



—Acquisition and eminent domain- authority to 

 buy lands when public ownership is necessary and 

 to acquire such lands through condemnation if 

 necessary. 



—Development— authority to provide, either di- 

 rectly or by arrangement with another government 

 agency, such public facilities as beaches, marinas, 

 and other waterfront developments and to lease 

 offshore areas. 



111-151 



