highway program. This will help greatly, with the development of the industrial sites.

There are good water supplies in this area, with which you are vitally concerned, and with which I am vitally concerned.

I might say Kentucky, as indicated in Pennsylvania in Governor Scranton's testimony, in our 1962 legislature passed a strengthened strip mining and reclamation law. We are right now reviewing our experience under this law to determine if we need to make additional amendments to our law in the 1966 session of the legislature.

We are developing industry in the area. Senator Cooper's home community is a very fortunate county in this.

Senator MUSKIE. You do not have a Cooper County in here? Governor BREATHITT. No, but we found on election day there are a lot of Cooper counties, sir.

Senator MUSKIE. Thank you, Governor, very much.

Senator BOGGS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Boggs?

Senator BOGGS. Thank you, Senator.

Governor, I want to join the committee in thanking you for appearing here, and for your fine testimony.

I was especially impressed by what you had to say, and said so well, about the passage of the Appalachia bill, that it would not in any way cause the States to lower their own efforts, but rather increase their efforts. It was one of the questions in my mind. I had some doubts about it, and I was glad to hear you speak out vigorously as you did on that.

And if it will accomplish that, help the States to increase their efforts, I think the overall result will certainly be wonderful.

The other thing you mentioned just now in answer to questions from Senator Muskie I think about increasing the opportunity for employment, employment opportunity, and you got into the timber industry. What other opportunities did you have in mind, particularly?

Governor BREATHITT. We are making a great effort in eastern Kentucky to develop our tourist industry. We have built a series of major vacation parks, lodges, fine dining facilities, on our Corps of Engineer lakes and our small lakes that we are developing, and then in the areas such as Natural Bridge, Ky.

These are as fine vacation facilities as you can find anywhere in the Nation, and we are operating them at a cost range that can attract vacationers from all over the country.

Kentucky is located in a 500-mile radius, within 1 driving day's distance, of 65 percent of the population of the United States. Because of this location, we are in eastern Kentucky pushing this. We have some year-round facilities now. We feel that this stimulates the area.

We of course are trying to attract industry to diversify the economy of the area. Then we are working to establish what portion of our agriculture economy can be established in the area, although this is somewhat limited. But we are working in this particular area.

Senator BOGGS. I want to get back to my roads question, you probably heard me ask Governor Scranton. With these access roads built, however, many miles may be in your area, will that be a State responsibility, or a county responsibility to keep them up?

Governor BREATHITT. It will be a State responsibility in Kentucky. Counties only have a responsibility on rural roads in Kentucky, and they are not encompassed in this particular program.

Our rural secondary program, which is the major rural highway system in Kentucky-that is not on our State or Federal aid or interstate or turnpike systems also financed by the State.

But all the roads that would be encompassed in this program in Kentucky would be the responsibility of the State of Kentucky.

Senator BOGGS. I am glad to have your testimony on that. I had doubts about it, because I visualized these access roads, many of them, as being really not hard surface roads, but simply dirt roads moving into isolated areas, and I did not realize that they were to be on a State system.

Senator RANDOLPH. Senator Boggs, I might just at that point say I am sure you mean the gravel roads as envisaged in the bill. Senator BOGGS. That is right.

Governor BREATHITT. These particular access roads would be maintained under our rural secondary program. In this particular program that, together with the arterial highways that are the regional network highways encompassed in the bill, will actually open this area up and open up commerce between West Virginia and Kentucky and between Virginia and Kentucky.

Senator BOGGS. Thank you very much, Governor.

Senator RANDOLPH. Governor Breathitt, we are appreciative of your presence, and your expert and very helpful testimony.

You will recall yesterday the President of the United States in the inaugural address mentioned "ridges." Perhaps people missed that as they listened. We do have these narrow valleys and ridges. Here live a people whose aptitudes we know are good, and whose attitudes, more importantly, are just right for this type of program. We hope it will move forward very quickly.

Thank you very, very much.

Governor BREATHITT. Thank you, Senator, and I want to thank the members of this committee for their courtesies in tendering this opportunity to me on behalf of all the people of Kentucky, and this region.

I want to particularly pay a tribute to you for your efforts, which I think are making a better bill of this Appalachian bill, which is so important to our area of the country.

Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you very much, Governor.

We are privileged now to have the very distinguished Governor of Georgia, Carl Sanders.

I might say he is the chairman of the Appalachian Governors' Commission.

We are very happy to have sitting with the committee Representative Mathias of Maryland, part of whose district is encompassed by this legislation. Senator Brewster will be heard from very briefly. Representative Hechler of West Virginia, who was here on Tuesday, has returned again today. We appreciate his interest in the area of West Virginia for which he has a very particular commitment. Representative Kee, also of West Virginia, is present and we would like the assistance of these fine people. We know we shall have it in the passage of this bill in the House of Representatives, which we hope will be in a very short time.

Governor Sanders, it was my good fortune to hear your welcome to Georgia, particularly to the city of Atlanta, within recent weeks, at the 50th anniversary convention of the American Association of State Highway Officials in your progressive city of Atlanta. I was very gratified to know of your grasp of the problems of highway construction not only in your own State, but in the Appalachian region.

If you will proceed, we will be very happy to hear you.

STATEMENT OF HON. CARL E. SANDERS, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA

Governor SANDERS. Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee on Public Works, I would like to make a brief statement, if I might, and then I will be glad to elaborate on the points that I raise in the State.

It is my duty, my privilege, and my pleasure as chairman of the Conference of Appalachian Governors to appear before this committee to endorse the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965 and to urge your favorable consideration.

In a sense, we are meeting here to reaffirm last September's decision when the Senate passed the Appalachian development bill by better than a 3-to-1 margin. The House did not take action. The problem remains.

Senator RANDOLPH. At that point, Governor, might I indicate that Senators Russell and Talmadge gave their support on rollcall to this

measure.

Governor SANDERS. Thank you, sir. I would like to have that in the record, too, if I might.

This bill is well designed to meet the needs of the region and to strike at the roots of poverty in Appalachia. I agree completely with the majority report of your committee last year that this program will "in the long run eliminate much of the need for public assistance payments by the development of the region's natural and human resources."

I would like to point out to the committee that there has been little change in Appalachia since the original information, based on the 1960 census, was collected. The people of that region are still bound in an isolated and stagnant economy.

In Georgia, our 35 Appalachian counties have substantial and persistent unemployment ranging from a high of 12.3 percent to a low of 5.1 percent, with an average of over 7 percent.

There is a great need for better access to Appalachia. Major highways and connector roads are needed to improve accessibility for the tourist trade as well as to aid the landowners in marketing the abundant timber resources. For example, only 50 percent of Georgia timber is now being marketed. Better management of the timberlands and improved access will increase the available timber by another 30 percent. Such an improvement would enable the people of Georgia and the other Appalachian States to take advantage of the growing markets for wood products.

We in Georgia have in preparation for early consideration a timber sources survey in which we propose to diagnose the problems of the area before treatment is prescribed. We must not ignore the attitudes

of the present landowners, for access to the timber depends upon their attitude as much as upon access roads.

I would not support any measure which would override the wishes of the landowners and the present market operators in the area, but I am firmly convinced that through this bill under consideration we can create conditions which will stimulate the expansion of the currently profitable timber operations in the Appalachian region of Georgia.

The entire Appalachian area needs improved health facilities to make the area more inviting for workers and investors. We need mineral resource studies to locate deposits for exploitation. We need to improve open land for grazing and for protection of its productive capabilities.

Many areas of the Nation are in critical need of wholesome water. We now have water in abundance in the Appalachian region, but we must take steps now to protect the quality of that water.

Appalachia needs improved vocational education facilities to help its residents current and future-to increase their productivity.

We in Georgia pledge to continue our present efforts in the Appalachian area, and we will expand our assistance as the opportunities arise. State initiative was behind this program now under consideration, and through it I believe that the States want to be true partners in the growth of the region.

I am sure that the other Governors of the Appalachian States share my conviction that this program will become the Nation's outstanding example of local-State-Federal cooperation.

I am concerned that the bill under consideration does not make provision for a full-time State representative, as recommended by the Systems Development Corp. and the Conference of Appalachian Governors' staff. A true partnership is lacking when two full-time highly capable Federal executives are assigned to work with 11 part-time State representatives led by an also part-time State cochairman.

In Georgia we have found a network of area planning and development commissions to be remarkably effective. These multicounty organizations allow local communities to join together in economic surveys and to initiate their own plans for economic development, and they also initiate their own plans for a development. The State matches funds and provides assistance in planning.

I might point out we have to have a minimum of five counties. They have to have a full-time executive director. This money that is raised for planning is on a match basis of 50-percent State funds, 50percent local funds. We in Georgia have pioneered in this program and in Georgia we have had this program for almost 6 years.

Georgia has concentrated its efforts in the Appalachian counties. Almost 65 percent of the $390,000 that Georgia has put into our 16 development commissions since 1961 has gone to the 3 commissions in our Appalachian area. Our budget for the next biennium allocates almost $1 million for those area development organizations. We are making, and will continue to make, strong efforts to help ourselves, but the regional problem cannot be solved until a regionwide attack is carried out.

I am convinced that our Georgia program is now one of the finest examples in the country of State and local cooperation for economic

development. With the passage of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1965, these area commissions broadened their perspective and have been invaluable in setting up programs under that act. They will be of similar assistance in carrying out the programs of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965.

I urge the committee to take care that the "human resources development" program now underway under the Economic Opportunity Act be closely coordinated with the Appalachian program, for human resources development is an essential part of regional development.

Our Appalachian area, which is filled with natural resources, cannot benefit our Nation and mankind until we have trained men who can dedicate themselves with skill and enthusiasm to the development of those resources.

The wealth of our Nation is based on the increased productivity of the individual. The nonproductive are a drain on the economy-a drain which this bill is designed to eliminate.

The Appalachian program and the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 are pioneer efforts in expanding the wealth of the Nation. The entire Nation not only will benefit from the increased productivity of the Appalachian region, but also the findings of the combined programs will show us sound approaches to the further development of other regions of the country.

The Appalachian and Economic Opportunity programs are wise investments, not wealth-consuming expenditures. They are businesslike approaches which will bring rich returns to both the present and future inhabitants of Appalachia and of the United States as a whole. I urge that this committee and the Congress complete the action begun last year and pass the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965.

The people of Appalachia are waiting, not in idleness, but with the confidence that their current efforts will be reinforced by the determination of the whole Nation.

The days of our reform have not passed and surely our affluent America can afford to eliminate the scourge of poverty from those citizens too long neglected, too long forgotten in the mountains of Appalachia.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Those are my remarks as far as this part of the presentation is concerned.

Senator RANDOLPH. Thank you, Governor Sanders. You have called our attention to the need for a representative of all the States on the proposed commission. It has been our thinking that there is the authority within the States to select such a person or persons, and this individual would come from among your own representatives, as it were, and would be paid by the Staes at a level they would establish. Now, is it your feeling that we must provide in the bill not only authority, but language that would make this office, as you say, full time rather than part time?

Governor SANDERS. Mr. Chairman, I believe, and I think I speak for the States that are in this particular region, that we certainly have no reason not to expect to pay for a State representative on the State level to coordinate and to implement this program, but we feel that where you have Federal executives assigned to the program then certainly these men are going to be full time, capable, qualified people to do a job.