of planning, coordinating, and financing the national oceanographic program. This Department, through the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, the Bureau of Mines, and the Geological Survey, is greatly interested in, and directly concerned with, the science of oceanography. We are primarily concerned with the development of the natural resources of the oceans. Consequently, we desire that this form of research and development proceed efficiently and effectively in the national interest. Described briefly, the bills before the committee are: * H.R. 7849 combines the principal provisions of H.R. 5654 and H.R. 5884. There are no provisions of substance added in this combination of the two bills. * All of these bills deal in various ways with the problem of planning, coordinating and financing the national oceanographic program. This is a large program of research and development which involves several Federal Government departments and specialized agencies. It is largely based on the recommendation of a committee of the National Academy of Sciences, which in 1959 proposed that the Federal Government embark on a 10-year program of expanded research on the oceans. The program involves studies of the physics, chemistry geology, and biology of the ocean and its contiguous waters; the relationships and interactions between ocean and atmosphere; and the living, mineral, and fossil resources of the ocean waters and seabed, and methods of conserving and harvesting these natural resources. Since 1960 the program has been coordinated and its budgets planned by the Interagency Committee on Oceanography of the Federal Council for Science and Technology. Funds are appropriated through the budgets of the individual cooperation agencies. The large number of bills which have been introduced in the Congress in recent sessions proposing to alter this coordinating machinery or to begin new studies of the ocean and its resources reflects the concern of the legislative branch of the Government that the present mechanism for planning and review may not be adequate. The varying nature of the individual solutions to the problem represented by these bills is a fair indication of the complexity of the problem. We believe that there is a growing need for a perspective in which the oceanographic programs of the Federal Government can be more clearly seen in relation to each other and in relation to the national goals which they support. All of these bills contain some features which could be helpful in carrying out a national oceanographic program. The position of the executive branch, however, is that H.R. 2218 should be enacted, but that the enactment of any of the other bills would be premature at this time. This position is based on the premise that the President's Science Advisory Committee's Panel on Oceanography is at the present time making the kind of investigation and study that is contemplated by H.R. 9064. When the Panel completes its study and submits its report Congress can more appropriately decide whether additional legislation dealing either with a further study or with a revised governmental organization to administer the national oceanographic program should be enacted. The recommendation that legislative action should be deferred is not intended to cast any doubt on the importance of the subject. President Johnson has recently stated his intention that the United States shall maintain leadership in ocean science and technology and their economic, military, and social applications. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, CLARENCE F. PAUTZKE, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, Washington, D.C., April 23, 1965. Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, DEAR CONGRESSMAN BONNER: Over the last 3 months you have been kind enough to refer to us for our information, and such comment as we might wish to make, several bills having to do with the Federal Government's arrangements for developing, coordination, and funding the national oceanographic program. Our Committee on Oceanography has welcomed the opportunity to review these bills. The Committee has long recognized the need for a more unified approach to the oceanography program among the Federal agencies. The Committee considers such an approach to be especially desirable with reference to those elements of the program that involve the missions of several different agencies, for example, the study of air-sea interactions, the development and,use of deepdiving vehicles and other means of deep-sea investigation, and the study of ocean resources. While the Committee does not have an adequate basis for recommending a particular mechanism for achieving the desired unity of approach, its members feel that effects at the appropriate level of the executive branch, for example, the Office of Science and Technology, in consultation with the congressional committees concerned, can undoubtedly result in an effective solution of the problem. Yours sincerely, F. Seitz, President. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION, Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This is in further reply to your request of May 11, 1965, for the views of the National Science Foundation on H.R. 7849, a bill to provide for the development of ocean resources, to provide for economic development of the Continental Shelf, to provide for expanded research in the oceans and the Great Lakes, to establish a National Oceanographic Council, and for other purposes. H.R. 7849 would establish in the Executive Office of the President a National Oceanographic Council, consisting of the heads of 10 Federal departments and agencies with the Vice President of the United States as Chairman. The function of the Council would be to advise and assist the President in connection with matters involving oceanography and the marine sciences. The Council would have a staff headed by a civilian Executive Secretary appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The bill would also establish a Marine Exploration and Development Commission, consisting of two members appointed from private life, one of whom would be Chairman of the Commission, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Commerce. It would be the responsibility of the Commission to formulate and carry out programs for exploration and development of the marine resources of the Continental Shelf and waters above the Continental Shelf. Such programs would include, among others, marine exploration, expeditions and surveys, and the making of grants, loans or cost-sharing arrangements for marine exploration, and economic development activities by scientific institutions and industry. As you know, the national program in oceanography is being coordinated through the Interagency Committee on Oceanography of the Federal Council for Science and Technology. We believe that this organizational arrangement is proving satisfactory for carrying on the Nation's oceanographic effort and that such problems as have arisen do not warrant establishment of the high level council envisaged by H.R. 7849. With regard to the proposed Marine Exploration and Development Commission, it is our view that the problems involved in the exploration and development of the Continental Shelf are still largely undefined. Information is not yet available regarding the kinds of programs that should be undertaken or the amounts of money which might be necessary to carry out such activities. We believe that the administrative mechanism for carrying out such activities should be considered in the light of the programs to be conducted. In this connection, the President's Science Advisory Committee has established a Panel on Oceanography, which will be considering recommendations regarding national policies with respect to oceanography, iucluding matters such as those contemplated by this portion of H.R. 7849. While we consider the aims of H.R. 7849 highly important ones, in view of the above considerations, we recommend against its enact ment. The Bureau of the Budget has advised us it has no objection to the submission of this report from the standpoint of the administration's program. Sincerely yours, BOWEN C. DEES, Acting Director. EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: I am pleased to have the opportunity to comment on H.R. 7849, a bill to provide for economic development of the Continental Shelf and for expanded research in the oceans and the Great Lakes, to establish a National Oceanographic Council, and for other purposes. Though fully concurring with the stated objectives of the bill, to sustain leadership for the United States in marine science and technology and their economic, military, and social applications, I regret that I cannot recommend enactment of H.R. 7849. Because my reasons differ for the two central provisions of the bill, they will be discussed separately. In regard to the provisions relating to the Continental Shelf, the extent to which industry is prepared to invest private funds in the extraction of wealth from the Continental Shelf is not clear at this time. For this reason, it is not clear that the provision of funds to industry, as provided by the bill, is the necessary or proper direction of Federal activity. The primary need may well be for guidance and consultation at this stage and further clarification of the legal status of resource exploitation. Furthermore, the addition of commissions, counsels, boards, committees, and similar groups reporting directly to the President is generating a situation which tends to make an existing difficult situation nearly impossible. For this reason, if any of the functions proposed in the bill are established in law, serious consideration should be given to placing them under the general jurisdiction of an existing major agency or department. In sum, my reservations with respect to this portion of the bill relate not to the eventual economic significance of the Continental Shelf but, rather, to the wisdom of enacting a law which would establish functions and allocate responsibilities and funds, when it is not clear that the approach taken in the bill is the one which would be adopted if all of the alternatives had been thoroughly explored. In regard to the functions to be performed by the proposed National Oceanographic Council, these essentially duplicate those now being performed by the Interagency Committee on Oceanography (ICO), a committee consisting of senior officials with technical and policy responsibilities established under the Federal Council for Science and Technology to plan and coordinate Federal programs relating to oceanography. The ICO, through the Federal Council for Science and Technology and its Chairman, the Special Assistant to the President, has been a highly effective link between the President and the Federal departments and agencies in matters relating to marine science and technology. Whether this link would be strengthened by the proposed Council and substantially greater effectiveness achieved in planning and coordination is doubtful, owing to the efficacy of the existing ICO system, now in its sixth year of operation. Moreover, the bill raises a general question relating to the structure of the executive branch for dealing with questions of science policy. The Office of Science and Technology was established with the concurrence of the Congress to advise and assist the President on matters relating to science and technology and to coordinate the activities of the Federal agencies. The bill raises in principle the desirability of establishing a series of national councils, for areas of high importance to science and technology, which report directly to the President. This way of organizing to deal with problems of science and technology would raise complicated problems, both for the President and for the major departments. A prerequisite to decisions relating to the future development of oceanography is a thorough analysis of the state of the field, identification of points of priority in terms of science, technology, and resources, and the potential contributions of all parties (industry, government, universities, foundations, and private laboratories) to the field. A study group composed of outstanding scientists is being established under the auspices of the President's Science Advisory Committee to review these questions. They are also under study by the National Academy of Science's Committee on Oceanography. It would seem prudent to withhold judgments on organizational matters until the results of these studies are available. Sincerely yours, DONALD F. HORNIG, Director. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, D.C., June 29, 1965. Hon. HERBERT C. BONNER, Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, DEAR MR. BONNER: Thank you for your request of May 11, 1965, for the views of the Smithsonian Institution on H.R. 7849, a bill to provide for the development of ocean resources, to provide for economic development of the Continental Shelf, to provide for expanded research in the oceans and the Great Lakes, to establish a National Oceanographic Council, and for other purposes. This legislation, consisting of three titles, is designated the "Ocean Resources Development Act of 1965." Title I of H.R. 7849 sets forth the objectives of the oceanographic and marine science activities of the United States. Title II of this legislation would (1) establish in the Executive Office of the President a National Oceanographic Council composed of representatives of Federal departments and agencies engaged in oceanographic and marine science activities; (2) provide that the Council shall serve as the advisory body of the President concerning the performance of functions in the fields of oceanography and the marine sciences, including certain designated functions; (3) authorize the Council to employ a staff; (4) direct the Council to submit to Congress within 1 year from the enactment of H. R. 7849 a comprehensive legislative program to further oceanography and the marine. |