marsh than was destroyed. The matter is under investigation, as his proposal would appear to overcome 

 State objections. 



Coordination The State Planning Task Force of the Department of Administration is serving as 

 coordinating agency for the State and with the three-State Coastal Plains Regional Commission (North 

 Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia). This program will serve in its region (which includes 45 North 

 Carolina counties) as a focus for coordination of State resource and development programs. Its principal 

 source of funds will probably be Federal moneys under the PubUc Works and Economic Development 

 Act. In its work with local development projects and agencies in the coastal counties, the Coastal Plains 

 Commission will undoubtedly play a role in coordinating development with estuarine management and 

 conservation. 



Oregon (1) Oregon is now engaged in an inventory and planning study of estuarine conservation under 

 the Clean Waters Restoration Act from which answers are expected within a year. From this study, areas 

 of conflict are expected to be defined and a single responsible agency to be designated. 



(2) Present controls apparently involve only the usual water pollution control regulation, fisheries 

 management, and public land controls. 



Rhode Island Regulation Rhode Island in 1967 adopted an Intertidal Salt Marsh Law, which prohibits 

 disturbing the ecology of intertidal salt marshes by dumping or excavating the marshes without a permit 

 from the Department of Natural Resources. Current policy more or less prohibits any filling. Several 

 appUcations to fill have been turned down, at least two dumps shut down, and a number of activities 

 stopped. 



Acquisition The State Natural Resources Department has made limited acquisitions of salt marshes 

 and has planned a more extensive program when more funds are available. The Department does not 

 have condemnation powers. 



Agency The entire Rhode Island State program is carried on within the various divisions of the State 

 Department of Natural Resources (Divisions of Harbors and Rivers, Conservation, Planning and 

 Development, and Law). 



Funding Limited funds have been made available periodically for salt marsh acquisition. The 

 operating programs are carried on as part of the activities of existing divisions of the Department of 

 Natural Resources without specific budgeting. 



Court Tests No test of the Intertidal Salt Marsh Law has been made beyond the lower courts. 



Coordination of Regulation and Development All coordination is apparently carried on internally 

 within the relevant divisions of the Department of Natural Resources. Permits are issued by the Division 

 of Harbors and Rivers, inspections made by the Division of Conservation, and enforcement conducted 

 by the Division of Enforcement. When necessary, the Division of Plaiming and Development reviews 

 applications. 



South Carolina Regulation and Acquisition Other than the usual fish and game laws, water pollution 

 controls, and procedures for the grant or lease of State lands. South Carolina has no regulatory controls 

 in estuarine areas. No active estuarine acquisition program is now underway, but the Wildhfe Resources 

 Department has acquired several large salt marsh areas for waterfowl hunting. About 30,000 acres of salt 

 marsh are included in the Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge. An estuarine study program is being 

 initiated at about the time this publication is being issued. 



Agency The South Carolina Wildhfe Resources Department (including its Commercial Fisheries 

 Division) appears to be the State agency with the principal current program interest affecting estuaries. 

 The estuarine studies recently initiated are under the Water Resources Committee. 



Funding No information available. 



Court Tests As this pubUcation goes to press, a test case is in progress before the State Supreme 

 Court to determine if the State owns (as it claims) to the mean high water line or only to the mean low 

 water line— whether the State owns its "tidelands." 



ni-176 



