307 



Mr. Milias. We were authorized $400,000 for research in 1974. 



Mr. Leggett. Well, are you reducing 3'our program? 



Mr. Milias. No, as I said originally, we feel that there is going 

 to be perhaps a new approach in this area by the administration, 

 and that we will mark time with our $833,000 at the present moment, 

 until we see just where the new administration desires to go with it. 



Mr. Leggett. Very good. 



I do not want to vou to zero base something that you do not fully 

 defend. But would you fully defend the $833,000? 



Mr. Milias. Most certainly. 



Mr. Leggett. That you have spent for the last 5 years, and tell 

 us why you have been able to spend exactly the same amount, and 

 do apparently what you consider to be an adequate job, and the 

 Department of Defense seems to require, let us see, they have a 

 19 percent increase in the procurement budget this year. 



Mr. Milias. I think you will find probably, Mr. Chairman, that 

 not only did we spend the $833,000, I think from what I studied the 

 last few days about the subject matter, that we probably use funds 

 from overlapping authorities. 



Mr. Leggett. So what you do, you innocently reprogramed from 

 other activities without redoing too much accounting for it? 



Mr. Milias. Some of the authorities are overlapping and benefit 

 the same species. 



Mr. Leggett. OK. 



Well, let us find out if we need anything in this. Mavbe vou can 

 borrow the whole amount, or maybe we need to double the amount. 

 But I think we should do a study, and we do not want to spend 

 $833,000 to do the study. 



As I say, make it not more than 10 pages. 



Mr. Milias. OK. 



[The following was received for the record :] 



Questions of the Subcommittee Answered by George W. Milias 



We are pleased to respond to questions that were generated by the Sub- 

 committee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and the Environment of the 

 Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee during the recent hearings on 

 extension of funding authorization under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

 of 1972. 



We have provided a funding table that indicates the Service's past, present 

 and anticipated expenditures on marine mammals. You will note that we had 

 a small research effort underway prior to the passage of the Marine Mammal 

 Protection Act, under provision of other authorities. Our research activities 

 were increased significantly as new requirements, in the area of management 

 and protection, were placed on the Service. These latter requirements are in 

 three major areas — program administration, law enforcement and permit 

 processing. 



The projected 1978 fiscal year figures are consistent with the Administra- 

 tion's budget which is currently under consideration in Congress. The pro- 

 jected 1979 fiscal year figures, are approximately 30 percent above current 

 expenditures. We propose to utilize the increase to: (1) take care of recent 

 inflation, (2) increase our coordination and monitoring efforts, and (3) ex- 

 pand our research program particularly in regard to California sea otters, 

 manatees and dugongs. 



The projected increases for fiscal years 1980—1983 are necessary to fully 

 implement mandates of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 



In addition to the general budget questions several specific questions were 

 also asked during the hearing on March 15, 1977. The questions and the re- 

 sponses are as follows : 



