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<br />I <br /> <br />I <br /> <br />Lake City was overwhelming opposition to this proposal. The feeling of <br />the subcommittee--and there was not any formal action that they have yet <br />taken, because it has to be cleared with 'the respective governors of <br />that committee--but the feeling is that it would be a very great mistake <br />to separate out construction from planning. I think:all the people there <br />understood what that will mean, from a variety of different standpoints. <br /> <br />Nevertheless, the Carter Administration probably is going to go ahead <br />with this 'proposal, and I think we will want to watch that one very <br />carefully. <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON: Mr. Thomson. <br /> <br />MR. THOMSON: The Forest Service will also be transferred, over. <br /> <br />MR. SHERMAN: In the areas outside of water, orie of the major proposals <br />is to take the Forest Service out of the Department of Agriculture and <br />move that over to a new land management agency in the Department of <br />Natural Resources. The Forest Service would be combined with BLM and, <br />apparently, with aspects or certain sections of the Soil Conservation <br />Service. <br /> <br />Back to the water picture for a minute--the new water agency would <br />include OWRT. So we have a research component, planning component, <br />policy components, and technical components but no construction. <br /> <br />MR. STAPLETON: Mr. Longeribaugh. <br /> <br />MR. LONGENBAUGH: I am Dwayne Longeribaugh. I understood that at least <br />in the early draft of that, Harris, that the water policy privi~ege was <br />retained by OMB. Is that true? <br /> <br />MR. SHERMAN: No, under the current draft, it is my understanding that <br />that policy function would be transferred largely to this independent <br />review force in the Secretary of the Interior's office. OMB woud con- <br />tinue to look at projects from strictly budgetary or fiscal standpoints; <br />but the environmental reviews and technical reviews, and so forth, that <br />the agencies have done would be performed by this independent review <br />team in the Secretary of the Interior's office. <br /> <br />MR. ADKINS: In a discussion with one of the agency officials yesterday, <br />I was given to understand that there has been no' provision of assignment <br />of responsibility for the administration of all of the Bureau of Recla- <br />mation contracts which they presently have in effect and in force. Do <br />you have any feel for that, Harris? <br /> <br />MR. SHERMAN: Initially, it is my understanding that the operation of <br />existing Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs would be retained in the <br />Bureau. But there has been discussion about gradually transferring <br />those functions over to the Corps of Engineers. <br /> <br />Initially, though, the operation of those responsibilities would be with <br />the Bureau. <br /> <br />-11- <br />