BOARD02242

• Board Meeting Date: 1/17/1962
• Description: Minutes and Resolution
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

L/OL

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4. Water resource planning and development
originally found its leadership in private enter-
prise and at the state or regional level with
national leadership later supplementing such activity.
This leadership should not be discouraged or elimin-
ated by an attempt to transfer primary responsibilities I'
to the Federal government either through a Federal
financial subsidy or the creation of a new Federal
agency composed of a limited number of cabinet officers
having burdensome, and often conflicting interests,
who would necessarily act through subordinates rather
than personally. In order to encourage continued
leadership by the people, there should be created a
Presidential Commission composed of highly trained
people having immediate access to the President of
the United States with the responsibility of encourag-
ing and assisting local and regional water developers
and users by insuring full cooperation of existing
Federal agencies in performing their traditional
functions with respect to water development. The
composition of such a group should inclUde persons
of training and experience adequate to represent the
viewpoints and needs of those who use water for all
purposes. The viewpoints and interests involved
would necessarily include persons representative of
various areas of the United states and of users of
water for domestic, agricultural, navigational, flood
control, industrial, power, and recreational needs.
The authority and functions of such a group should
be so defined by law so as to authorize and encourage
the use of that group by the Congress of the United
states in meeting its obligations with respect to
water development.

5. Those river basin activities which transcend
state lines should be undertaken under the leadership
of the Presidential Commission through already exist-
ing interstate compact machinery which has been rati-
fied by the Congress, or by agreement with any state 1
involved, where compact machinery is not available.
Local projects should not be within the purview of
this legislation. The Federal government's part in
the development of a national water policy should be
one of leadership rather than direct control.

6. If the proposed legislation is to provide
a vehicle by which to facilitate development of the