Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) carries out a significant effort in species research and management and is supported by Interior's National Biological Service. In addition, our review showed that the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Department of Energy, Interior's U.S. Geological Survey and Minerals Management Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) carry out ocean research activities. I will now briefly summarize the activities of NOAA and the other federal agencies in these areas and offer some preliminary observations on the similarities and differences. Species Research and Management NOAA's species research and management function primarily is centered in NMFS. Principal NMFS activities to build sustainable fisheries and recover protected species include scientific information collection on and analysis of marine species population sizes and trends and habitat needs and conditions, enhancement of species habitats, and protection of specific species and populations of species. With regard to activities to recover protected species, Interior's FWS and NMFS share responsibility for administering two key species protection laws-the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Although FWS carries out species research and management activities similar to NMFS, it directs its activities primarily at nonmarine species. However, FWS does have primary protection responsibility for a selected number of marine mammals; and in the case of sea turtles, NMFS has protection responsibilities when the turtles are in the sea, and FWS assumes responsibility for them when they are on land. FWS also receives scientific information from Interior's National Biological Service to support its species management activities. In addition, the National Biological Service collects data on the distribution and interrelationships of species protected under the two by species protection laws as well as information on the effects of Interior's marine mineral development efforts on marine species. The primary distinction between the species protection activities of NOAA and Interior is the type of species each agency focuses on. Marine species are primarily under the purview of NOAA; while land species, birds, and fresh water species are under the purview of Interior. Other than this distinction, the information needs and tasks performed in managing these species seem quite similar. However, NOAA activities to manage marine fisheries for the purpose of ensuring their long-term commercial viability do not appear similar to the activities of Interior and involve international relationships without an Interior counterpart. Ocean Research NOAA's activities in oceanic and atmospheric research are to support improved weather and climate services, better resource management, and national and international scientific assessments of the environment. This research is supported by the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and the National Ocean Service. Among the activities carried out are the observation, measurement, and assessment of the nation's coastal and ocean areas as well as the undertaking of specific studies to provide a sound scientific basis for management decisions. According to a 1992 National Research Council study, basic ocean research activities in the Federal Government have been primarily carried out by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research.12 The National Science Foundation supports ocean research with specific programs for areas including physical, chemical, and biological oceanography; marine geology and geophysics; and ocean technology. This research is to improve knowledge of the global climate system, coastal environments, processes that control the chemical composition and motion of ocean waters, the nature and distribution of marine organisms, and the character of the ocean floor. The Office of Naval Research's activities focus on marine geophysics and ocean sciences. Among other things, this office supports basic research in ocean acoustics and maintains data on sea-floor and sea-surface topography. Among the other agencies with an ocean research function, Interior's U.S. Geological Survey conducts marine and coastal geological studies in basically four areasenvironmental quality and preservation, natural hazards and public safety, natural resources, and marine and coastal information. These studies are to support decisions in such areas as the protection of coastal sea-floor habitats, the assessment of hazards in the marine and coastal realms, and the improvement of coastal ocean environmental health. Interior's Minerals Management Service supports studies in physical oceanography, offshore geology, and marine pollution. 12 Oceanography in the Next Century: Building New Partnerships, National Research Council, Washington, D.C., 1992. Finally, the Department of Energy supports marine research in areas such as subseabed waste disposal, carbon dioxide-related research, and coastal oceanography. The Environmental Protection Agency's research supports improvements in the understanding and management of the sources of pollutants and the environments that receive wastes. NASA's ocean research activities center around funding for construction, operation, and related research for ocean satellite missions and the collection and analysis of data from satellites. On the basis of descriptions in the 1992 National Research Council study discussing ocean research activities of federal agencies and selected agency budget documents, it is difficult to identify clear distinctions between the activities these agencies are carrying out. It would appear, however, that federal agencies other than the National Science Foundation are conducting specific types of research in support of their respective agency missions. A more detailed examination would be needed to determine the extent to which these agencies' research efforts overlap or supplement each other and to more fully understand the level of coordination that is occurring. In summary, Mr. Chairman, while reducing the budget and eliminating redundancy are driving the reorganization agenda for the moment, difficult choices remain for defining both the role of government and the right organizational structures for delivering services to the public. As Congress and the administration continue to grapple with these policy choices, particular attention should be paid to ensuring that reorganization approaches are coordinated within and across agency lines and based on clearly articulated and agreed-upon missions and goals. Once a reasonable degree of consensus on goals and missions is achieved, continued attention will be needed to ensure that proper implementation approaches are chosen and that programs effectively meet their missions. Finally, sustained oversight by Congress is needed to ensure effective implementation. We look forward to continuing to work with Congress as it considers opportunities to reorganize and streamline the Federal Government. This concludes my prepared statement. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues and I would be pleased to respond to any questions. Energy Technology Reinvestment Project: Provides matching SEMATECH: Provides grants to the U.S. semiconductor industry $491 the cost of building and maintaining highways, bridges, ports, 'Funding in Energy's budget specifically designated for Cooperative R&D Agreements. In addition, Energy laboratories can use R&D program funds to support Cooperative R&D Agreement projects. Two percent of extramural R&D for 11 federal agencies. Sources: GAO, based on documents from agencies and discussions with officials. 246090 26 92-690 96 - 4 Chairman ROTH. Thank you, Mr. Stevens. Mr. Mendelowitz? TESTIMONY OF ALLAN I. MENDELOWITZ, MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, FINANCE, AND COMPETITIVE ISSUES, U.S. GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE Mr. MENDELOWITZ. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for the opportunity to provide views on how the proposals to abolish the Commerce Department would impact the Government's ability to fulfill its trade responsibilities. As you requested, I am submitting my full statement for the record and will make a few summary comments. Our views provided today are based on well over a decade of work on trade programs across the Government. There are four major areas of Federal trade programs. First is trade policy, including formulating trade policy, setting negotiating priorities, negotiating, and monitoring implementation of trade agreements. The second is trade promotion, involving trade facilitationChairman ROTH. Could I ask you a question? Mr. MENDELOWITZ. Yes. Chairman ROTH. I quoted earlier from a letter from the USTR where Ambassador Kantor congratulated Commerce for the negotiating role it played in NAFTA and the Uruguay Round. Does that bother you? Theoretically, USTR is responsible for policy and for negotiation, whereas the international trade section of Commerce is implementation and operation. Did that come within your purview of your study? Mr. MENDELOWITZ. What we have found over the years is that the U.S. Trade Representative fulfills his responsibilities in several ways. One is by chairing the interagency committees that have responsibility for formulating U.S. trade negotiating positions and trade policy, and secondly, by leading negotiations, primarily in multilateral fora, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. But in a whole host of trade negotiations, both multilateral and bilateral, we found that USTR, because of its small size, relies on assistance from a whole host of Government agencies. In both the current GATT round and in the NAFTA negotiations, as well as a series of bilateral agreements, such as the U.S.-E.U. large civil aircraft agreement, and U.S.-Japan agreements on telecommunications and auto parts and related issues, USTR has been assisted in the negotiating process by officials from the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and the Treasury, as well as a number of other agencies. Given the small size of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office, given its limited in-house analytical support, it is absolutely essential that it rely on other agencies in the Federal Government for both analytical support as well as actual negotiations. Chairman ROTH. It certainly makes sense from time to time to borrow from others where you do not have adequate resources, but in the long term, are you saying that USTR has inadequate resources to discharge its responsibility? Mr. MENDELOWITZ. I think the way I would have to answer that question is that the current agenda with respect to setting trade |