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<br />.,--,'. <br /> <br /> <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />tJf!~~::~st <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />",,><,.~ <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />,~{;;? <br /> <br />'.~_. -. .-::.'" <br /> <br />IIIIII.lf({t~lill"i~It_~ <br /> <br />-28- <br /> <br />~~~~ <br />?r:-i>~~~~f <br />'.".{'--:.'/. <br /> <br />002775 <br /> <br />l;lut the spirit of our intent is one of buildinl'l and not of rEjshuffling. The <br />design of a new civil agency will be governed by the dim",nsions of the <br />task before us. Now, along with this new civil agency, ~e hope to estab- <br />lish a truly national program rather than a federal program, and there- <br />fore, accordingly, we .recommended the formation of. a National Advisory <br />Committee for the Oceans to be established and to advise the head of <br />NOAA and to report to the President and to the Congress the progress of <br />both government and private programs in achieving objectives of a nation- <br />al ocean program. The members of the committee, some 15 in number, <br />would be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the <br />Senate. They would be drawn from a wide range of backgrounds, pro- <br />fessionally and geographically. Like the Commission itself, the advisory <br />committee would be wholly free of operating responsibilities. On the other <br />h<!.nd, the assistance of such a body in the formulation of major programs <br />and in independent appraisal of the progress of the United States would be <br />invaluable. <br /> <br />Moving ahead, I would like to say that we are on the threshold of decision. <br />There were no crash programs recommended by the Commission, and <br />indeed, in this year of budgetary stress, I want to emphasize that the incre- <br />mental cost of prompt action through the creation of NOAA prob<!.bly would <br />lead to a consolidation of effort. I don't believe it wOllld lead to any saving <br />of money, but at least those elements would more effectively function when <br />put together. But a failure to meet the transcendent need for such a con- <br />solidation and the building of strength--a failure to take bold and major <br />actions--will, in my judgment, be distastrous to the best interests of our <br />country and condemn !lsto another decade of study. And I might add here-~ <br />another decade of inaction, and I am not alone in this feeling. <br /> <br />Now I wish to present recent rem.arks by Vice President Agnew and I quote: <br />"Americaapproaches a new threshold in our maritime history. We are <br />anticipating a significant new decade in effective and intelligent USe of the <br />sea. <br /> <br /> <br />The past decade has been one of preparation. The present time is one of <br />organization, so that the decade ahead' may culminate the realization of our <br /> <br />aim. <br /> <br />To understand where we wish to go, it is well to remember from where we <br />came. In 1959, a National Academy of Science report awakened our nation <br />to the vast potential of the sea. <br />