as consistent with other Federal law and not inconsistent with "regulations 

 of the Secretary (of the Interior) now or hereafter adopted." 



Section 5 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act authorizes the 

 Secretary of the Interior to administer leasing of Outer Continental Shelf 

 lands. It also authorizes the Secretary to ". . . prescribe and amend such 

 rules and regulations as he determines to be necessary and proper in order 

 to provide for the prevention of waste and conservation of the natural re- 

 sources of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the protection of correlative 

 rights therein ..." 



It is not clear that the Secretary may regulate the activities of other 

 Federal agencies on the Outer Continental Shelf. While the language of 

 Section 5 broadly authorizes the Secretary to promulgate regulations "to 

 provide for the prevention of waste and conservation of natural resources", 

 the context of the Act does not make it certain that such regulations could 

 be used to regulate the activities of other Federal agencies. Section 11 

 authorizes "any Agency of the United States" to conduct geological and 

 geophysical explorations on the Outer Continental Shelf and also grants 

 such authority to any person "authorized by the Secretary." Apparently, 

 other Federal agencies do not require the Secretary's permission. 



Whether the regulation of Federal oceanographic research ought to be 

 centralized in a single Department head or in the Secretary of the Interior 

 seems to me to be a proper matter of concern to the Interagency Committee. 

 The existence of this Committee and the holding of this conference is proof 

 of a widespread recognition of the need for coordination. On the other hand 

 it may well be that Federal activities have not become sufficiently intensive 

 to justify a decision on the final institutional forms our efforts will take. 



Some 23 separate agencies in the Federal Government will be involved in 

 some type of research or development program in the oceans on or beyond the 

 Continental Shelf. These agencies spent a total of $123.1 million in Fiscal 

 Year 1964 efforts conducted under the national oceanographic program. The 

 estimates for FY 1966 exceed $140 million. Each participating agency has 

 its separate statutory responsibility, either expressed or implied, for 

 scientific research, geographical exploration or ocean development in the 

 interest of national defense, resource development and conservation, mari- 

 time regulation and safety, or public health. 



It would serve no useful purpose here to outline or summarize the statu- 

 tory authority for each such Federal program. Suffice it to say that the 

 number and scope of these programs will inevitably increase rapidly in the 

 future. In addition, important programs may be conducted by private industry. 

 We should remain alert to the increasing needs for effective coordination 

 and regulation of all efforts, governmental and nongovernmental, and we must 

 be prepared at the appropriate time to make our recommendations. 



We might inquire at this point as to what programs or types of programs 

 presently fall within the purview of the administrative machinery established 



