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<br />(J ihH 5 5 <br /> <br />-2- <br /> <br />THE INITIAL REQUEST TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE <br /> <br />On November 7, 1975, fourteen Congressmen representing Kansas, Colorado, <br /> <br />New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma sent a letter to Wilmer Mizell, the Assistant <br /> <br />Secretary for Economic Development at the Department of Commerce. The group <br /> <br />expressed their concern regarding the approaching economic decline of the <br /> <br />High Plains area, They asked the Economic Development Administration to fund <br /> <br />a study to accomplish the following: <br />(1) Identify the relevant efforts that have been undertaken <br /> <br />by local groups, state governments and federal agencies <br /> <br />to assure the continued productivity and propserity of the <br /> <br />High Plains area as its water and energy resources are <br /> <br />depleted or exhausted, <br /> <br />(2) Identify the interest, commitment and role of the federal <br /> <br />agencies and respective state governments in undertaking <br /> <br />a multi-state/federal analysis of the problem and a determina- <br /> <br />tion of future federal/state courses of action, <br /> <br />(3) Identify the proper organizational structure between the <br /> <br />federal and state governments and the level of effort that <br /> <br />will be required to undertake the necessary research and <br /> <br />subsequent planning and implementation of activities leading <br /> <br />to the continued economic health of the area. (5) <br /> <br /> <br />The group asked that the study design be made available within 90 days to <br /> <br /> <br />determine if Congress should proceed further with the undertaking. They also <br /> <br /> <br />noted that they felt it wise to begin now to meet the areas' future needs <br /> <br />rather than to be forced into crash programs after an economic crises <br /> <br />develops. <br />