TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: I am transmitting the first annual report on the management and conservation of our coastal resources, as required by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. This report covers fiscal year 1973, a year of study and organization preparatory to the financial implementation of the Act in fiscal year 1974. In the spirit of the New Federalism, this program constitutes a partnership between the States and the Federal Government. It will seek to solve what some have described as the dilemma of conservation versus development in the ecologically fragile coastal zone area of our country. Together with the Congress we recognize this dilemma, but neither branch of Government believes conservation and development are mutually exclusive. We must permit neither development nor conservation to become completely dominant. By systematically weighing the benefits and the costs of proposed actions we can provide for both conservation and progress. Together with land use legislation, now pending in the Congress, the Coastal Zone Management Act would provide our Nation with complete geographic coverage for this important State-Federal planning partnership. We look to land use and coastal zone plans to assist us in preserving our natural heritage and in permitting orderly development of our resources for the common good. This is especially important in the coastal area where most of our population is concentrated, where many of our recreational and employment opportunities are centered, and where many forces compete for our resources. Significant groundwork has been laid in planning for implementation of the Coastal Zone Management Act. As a result, I believe we are able to look forward to rapid progress as the Federal Government begins this important task in partnership with State governments. THE WHITE HOUSE, |