5 6 7 BY THE FINANCE COMMITTEE HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 108 IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA SIXTH LEGISLATURE SECOND SESSION Requesting the establishment of an 8 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 9 WHEREAS the combination of existing fisheries with suitable study areas 10 make Southeast Alaska an ideal location for a major subarctic estuarine 11 research center; and 12 WHEREAS, because the myriad of islands, inlets, fjords and small and 13 large rivers of the region constitute one enormous subarctic estuarine environ 14 ment and the depth of many of the fjords provide a direct and nearby connec 15 tion with oceanic waters, many large protected areas have a combination of 16 17 18 an estuarine habitat with a nearby deep marine environment comparable with that over the continental shelf; and WHEREAS, because many species which are fished or mature offshore uti19 lize these estuaries for spawning as well as nursery areas, the region 20 sustains a multimillion dollar fishing industry including salmon, halibut, 21 herring, shrimp, crab and other shellfish; and 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 WHEREAS the wide variety of environments and marine species available to a Southeastern Alaska estuarine laboratory would lend themselves to several possible research programs, both basic and applied, including marine ecology, the role of estuaries in oceanic productivity, aquaculture and experimental ecosystems; and WHEREAS a laboratory for estuarine studies in Southeastern Alaska would have application to a wide variety of projects of direct national interest and indirect benefits would accrue to existing fisheries in the area; and HJR 108 am WHEREAS the most reasonable location for such a center would be at 2 Douglas, Alaska,since the Douglas Marine Station, which is currently in opera 3 tion, could be expanded into such a research center with the additional 4 advantage of close proximity to the Auke Bay Biological Laboratory of the 5 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, the State of Alaska Department of Fish and 6 Game and the Institute of Northern Forestry which all engage in allied fields 7 of research providing cross-disciplinary exchanges and a congenial environ 8 ment for the scientific and technical personnel of the proposed center; 9 BE IT RESOLVED that the U. S. Department of the Interior and the 10 State of Alaska are respectfully requested to take all steps necessary 12 to establish a vitally needed estuarine research center at Douglas, Alaska. COPIES of this Resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Walter J. 13 Hickel, Secretary, Department of the Interior, the Regents of the University 14 16 15 of Alaska, the Honorable Harry L. Rietze, Regional Director, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Mike 16 Gravel, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Howard W. Pollock, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress. 17 Mr. LENNON. Our next witness is Mr. Richard Goodenough, Department of Environmental Protection of New Jersey. Do you have a prepared statement, Mr. Goodenough? STATEMENT OF RICHARD D. GOODENOUGH, DIRECTOR, DIVISION OF MARINE SERVICES, NEW JERSEY Mr. GOODENOUGH. Yes, we do. Mr. LENNON. Do you want to follow that statement, sir? Mr. GOODENOUGH. I would appreciate the opportunity of doing so. Mr. LENNON. Thank you very much. You may proceed. Mr. GOODENOUGH. My name is Richard D. Goodenough. I am director, division of marine services, department of environmental protection, representing Gov. William T. Cahill and Commissioner Richard J. Sullivan. The department I represent has jurisdiction over all coastal wetlands, State-owned riparian lands, all marine law enforcement, and is generally responsible for administering a variety of programs designed to protect and enhance the delicate ecological balance of our coastal zone. The coastal zone environment is one of the most difficult for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to manage, because a complex variety of operating data are required for true rational decisionmaking. We are in need of a capability to optimally manage our coastal resources and allocate funding in the best fashion. It is for these reasons that we have a vital interest in the proposed legislation: H.R. 2492, the Coastal and Estuarine Area Management Act, and H.R. 2493, the National Coastal and Estuarine Zone Management Act of 1971. Wetlands, especially salt marshes, play a primary role in the productivity of estuaries. They provide food and shelter not only for organisms naturally inhabitating the wetlands, but also for the many organisms which spend all or part of their lives in the waters of the adjacent estuary or shallow ocean zones. Salt marshes-and, for that matter, fresh or brackish water marshes which are tidally influencedare vitally necessary to the maintenance of virtually all of our major shallow salt-water and fresh-water fish and shellfish populations. A decline in the area and productivity of wetlands has led to degradation of a wide number of fish and waterfowl species which are truly dependent upon these wetlands. Until recently, it has not been appreciated that wetlands are an integral part of both the terrestrial and the acquatic ecosystem, supporting an astounding array of biotic communities which thrive only when the unique nature of the wetlands habitat is maintained. Unrestricted activities such as dredging, draining, filling, dumping, and daming either totally destroy or permanently alter these wetlands habitats and hence their productivity in the estuarine ecosystem. From a total of about 233,000 acres of coastal wetlands in Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties, about 50,000 acres, more than 20 percent, have been lost to filling, diking, dredging or otherwise altered in the past 17 years. This alarming rate of flow has caused us much concern. There can be no question that the coastal zone must be protected at the National, State and local levels, using every tool possible. New Jersey is making some progress. On November 5, 1970, Governor Cahill signed into law The Wetlands Act of 1970. We believe this legislation will have far-reaching significance in the struggle to save the New Jersey coastal environment for this and future generations. The new law gives the department of environmental protection jurisdiction over an estimated 300,000 acres of marshland on the Atlantic Ocean coastal stretch extending from Sandy Hook to Cape May, on the New Jersey shores of Delaware Bay, and on all tidal portions of the Delaware River below Trenton. We are now implementing that law. First, we must map all wetlands within the State; this is under way. Second, we must notify all landowners and hold public hearings on the proposed rules and regulations--this portion of the law can be implemented in a given area after mapping of that area has been completed. Third, we issue regulations designed to protect New Jersey's wetlands. We do not intend to prohibit all future development or confiscate private property for public purposes. Rather, we hope to develop a management scheme which allows for the future orderly development of these lands consistent with their ecological value and the really true public interest. Implementation of this act is no small undertaking for New Jersey. The legislature has made a major commitment of $800,000 to aid the department in mapping and inventorying the wetlands so that regulations can be promulgated and enforced. Total wetlands mapping costs are expected to lie between $1.2 and $1.5 million. This will gain us an extremely sophisticated inventory of our coastal resources. However, management system development costs are not included in this total; yet, only a well-designed management system will accomplish the total objective. Obviously New Jersey is in need of additional Federal support so that it can implement its coastal zone program as rapidly as possible. This must be done before all of these irreplaceable natural resources fall to the dredge of the builder and to a wide variety of other potential users competing for the privilege to profit for the benefit of the few at the expense of the many. Riparian lands are those lands regularly washed by the tides and situated below mean high water. They are owned by the State and always have been. However, in the name of economic development, our State, up until a year ago, had been anxious to sell its interest in these precious lands, the proceeds going into the State school fund. The result of that policy is a coast looking like this in part, and the result of that policy is shown in these pictures. Lagoon developments here on the New Jersey coast, approaching wall-to-wall urbanization in part. This is kind of spooky in our mind, it scares us a little bit. We like a rational balance with this sort of thing, too, natural wetlands. But the tide has turned and New Jersey now is acting to preserve these valuable lands. We are in the process now of developing new criteria for determining when, if ever, and under what conditions fur ther development or sale of these lands will be permitted, and what factors may properly be given consideration in questions of possible hardship or necessity. Present policy places the burden of proof on those who wish to use State riparian lands. They must show that their proposed use (1) is in the best public interest and (2) will cause minimal ecological damage. Judgment on our part obviously is necessary for adjudicating riparian law cases within the framework of State government. More data are needed and better ways to use that data are necessary before we can devise a truly rational environmental managment scheme for these kinds of areas. Obviously research is needed both at the State and the Federal levels. Moneys will transform research results into practical tools for dealing with the myriad questions of real world marine resource management. We are not interested in just "research." We are interested in making things happen out there. Shore protection engineering works are being reevaluated and redesigned so that all construction projects will be related to the potential ecological damage which might result. We know that erosion of the New Jersey Atlantic coastal shoreline is ecologically harmful to water quality marine life and wetlands. Again, we need information and practical schemes not just for understanding, but for managing our coastal environment. Other tools have value and are being used. We have filed proposed rules and regulations which would give the State control over installation of septic tanks on all areas below 10 feet elevation above sea level in several critical counties. We have also spent millions of dollars to acquire title to coastal wetlands, and have thus gained several tens of thousands of acres. Next fall our voters will decide if we will enter into another $80 million bond issue for open space land acquisition. All of these tools have value-but their greatest value is when they are a complete part of a totally integrated management system. Our work tolay is being done with a good deal of coordination with many Federal agencies. Increased orderly coordination is needed and a funding program to demonstrate the responsible direction we must take is needed. Dr. Gordon McDonald of the President's Council on Environmental Quality visited us 2 weeks ago and was much impressed by the progress made and also by the challenge ahead in New Jersey. New Jersey has a vital interest in the proposed legislation, H.R. 2492 and 2493. We urgently request that the Congress make these bills a reality so that all Coastal States will be in a better position to make fundamental decisions as to how best they might manage their coastal environments and establish a rational balance between reasonable use and destructful abuse. We must judge the present honestly, rather than justify the past. We must plan for man to be a part of naturenot apart from nature. We must realize the way things might be, rather than regret the way they are. As President Nixon so aptly put it, we need new knowledge, new perspection, new attitudes-it is also vital that our entire society |