subsequently be acted upon favorably, the possibility of any water resources development plan for this region would be eliminated. It's certainly obvious that the fish and wildlife people in the Department of the Interior would not agree to losing "an inch of trout streams" and I can assure you that the people of these five counties would not submit to flooding of what is already a limited amount of developable land on this mountain plateau. In essence, this bill would completely prevent TVA and local areas from seeking moderate and acceptable approaches toward water resources development if any agency representing limited interests has the right of veto power over all such development. For the sake of this project, for the sake of the people of our area, and for the sake of the ultimate contribution our area can make to the economy of North Carolina, I earnestly solicit your support in opposing H. R. 14455. Respectfully submitted. KERMIT EDNEY, Chairmas GARRISON, N.Y., May 11, 1966. Representative JOHN DINGELL, Washington, D.C.: Support all your three measures, particularly H.R. 9492. Something must be done to insure adequate public notice and control of the action of these various Federal agencies. BENJAMIN W. FRAZIER, Constitution Island Association. CROTON ON HUDSON, N.Y., May 11, 1966. Representative JOHN DINGELL, House Office Building, Washington, D.C.: As a director of Hudson River Fishermens Association, I heartily endorse your fisheries legislation under consideration. I speak from bitter experience, from the Hudson to the Pacific coast and all power to you to curb abuse. As a senior editor of Sports Illustrated, I would like to know who is trying to block your bills. Thank God for you. Warmest regards. ROBERT H. BOYLE. POINT LOOKOUT, N.Y., May 11, 1966. Hon. JOHN D. DINGELL, Chairman, Subcommittee, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Enactment of bills H.R. 14455 and H.R. 14414 will strengthen provisions of the 1958 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act and is essential to safeguard our Nation's vulnerable natural resources. Enactment of H.R. 9492, providing a longer period for Secretary of Interior to evaluate possible effects of proposed Federal projects, will prevent hasty and wanton destruction of irreplaceable natural resources. Council requests time to testify, if possible. Mrs. B. J. MELLON, Secretary, Hempstead Town Lands Resources Council. NEW YORK, N.Y., May 11, 1966. Hon. JOHN DINGELL, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.: Support strongly H.R. 14414 and H.R. 9492 as important and bills which could have precluded potential destruction at Storm King. We also support H.R. 14455 as important. Statement follows. L. ROTHSCHILD, Chairman, Scenic Hudson Preservation Conference. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION, Raleigh, N.C., June 13, 1966. Hon. HAROLD D. COOLEY, Member, U.S. House of Representatives, DEAR MR. COOLEY: This is in reference to HR14455 which is now before Congress for consideration, and which provides that the Tennessee Valley Authority shall no longer be exempt from the provisions of the Wildlife Coordination Act. It appears that an article in several of the western North Carolina newspapers has created the erroneous impression that passage of the bill would prevent TVA from carrying out its flood control program for the French Broad River basin, or, at least. make TVA budget requests dependent upon approval of the Interior Department. On the basis of this misinformation, we understand that a letter campaign is underway urging your opposition to the bill. Of course, you realize that the Wildlife Coordination Act simply requires that Federal agencies having responsibilities in the field of water resources shall obtain the recommendations of the Federal and State wildlife agencies in project planning in order to avoid the unnecessary destruction of wildlife habitat. It is advisory and not compulsory. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, for example, carry out extensive flood control projects throughout the United States in conformity with the provisions of the Wildlife Coordination Act. Their projects are not defeated by it, but, rather, better serve the public interest. It is our hope that, in reaching a decision on HR14455, you will be guided by a consideration of the actual provisions of the Wildlife Coordination Act and not by letters from those who erroneously believe that its passage will destroy the TVA plan for flood control on the French Broad River. Cordially and sincerely, CLYDE P. PATTON. STATE OF MARYLAND, Hon. EDWARD A. GARMATZ, Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, DEAR MR. GARMATZ: Members of the Board of Natural Resources have instructed me to send you this letter in support of H.R. 14414, "To amend the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to make it applicable to the Atomic Energy Commission, the Federal Power Commision, and to permittees and licensees of such Commissions." As you know, this Board and the Board of Public Works have approved a threeyear contract with the Philadelphia Power Company, the owners of the Conowingo Dam. This contract provides that the Power Company will release water to prevent a reoccurrence of the 1965 massive fish kills which have been attributed to the operation of the Dam. The Federal Power Commission's fifty-year license for the operation of the Conowingo Dam will expire in 1976 and the State is most anxious that the new license will provide for water releases and other corrective measures for the maintenance of satisfactory aquatic environments within the Susquehanna River. Therefore, we strongly urge that H.R. 14414 be given favorable consideration by your Committee. Very truly yours, RALPH C. HAMMER, Natural Resources Specialist. (Whereupon, at 12:40 p.m., the subcommittee adjourned, subject to the call of the Chair.) MISCELLANEOUS FISHERIES LEGISLATION FISHING RIGHTS TUESDAY, MAY 24, 1966 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION The subcommittee met at 10:10 a.m., pursuant to call, in room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Thomas N. Downing presiding. Mr. DOWNING. The meeting will come to order. This morning and tomorrow the Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation will consider several bills which would establish fishing zones beyond our territorial seas. As I am sure most of you are aware, present law guarantees our U.S. fishermen exclusive fishing rights in the waters which encompass our territorial sea, and the bills to be heard today would in no way extend the jurisdiction nor alter our sovereignty over our territorial sea. My bill, H.R. 9531, and identical bills, H.R. 9540 by Mr. Meeds; H.R. 10177 by Mr. Rivers of Alaska; H.R. 10183 by Mr. Pelly; H.R. 13375 by Mr. Don Clausen; H.R. 13376 by Mr. Keith; H.R. 13377 by Mr. Mathias; H.R. 13479 by Mr. Morton; H.R. 15030 by Mr. Dulski; and H.R. 15191 by Mr. Rogers of Florida, would extend our exclusive fishing rights from the outer limits of the territorial sea seaward a distance of 9 nautical miles. H.R. 14961 by Mr. Pelly, and H.R. 15011 by Mr. Wyatt would extend our exclusive fishing rights by providing that the new zone would have as its inner boundary the outer limits of the territorial sea and as its seaward boundary lines drawn following the 200 meter depth contour. These bills would have the effect of establishing an exclusive fisheries zone superjacent to the Continental Shelf. In addition, the subcommittee will receive testimony on H.R. 9530, which is my bill, which is designed to protect our coastal fisheries and other resources by implementing the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone. Since all of the bills to be heard are concerned with our fishing rights in the territorial sea and the zone beyond the territorial sea, they will be heard as a group. The Chair is hopeful that the testimony to be received today and tomorrow will be most helpful when the committee considers these bills at a later date. Let the bills and departmental reports appear in the record at this time. (Bills and reports referred to follow :) [H.R. 9530, 89th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To protect coastal fishery and other resources by implementing the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That it is the sense of the Congress that the United States implement the Convention the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone which came into force on September 10, 1964, by marking on large-scale charts officially recognized by the United States the baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea pursuant to article 3 of the Convention, and that in localities where the coastline is deeply indented and cut into, or if there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity, the method of straight baselines joining appropriate points be employed in drawing the baseline pursuant to article 4 of the Convention. SEC. 2. In reference to marking straight baselines, the President shall(1) Determine the localities on the coast of the United States in which the use of the straight baseline method would be appropriate and in the best interests of the United States. (2) Indicate on charts and give due publicity to the baseline establishing the inner boundary of the territorial sea in such localities. SEC. 3. In carrying out the provisions of this Act, the President shall be guided by, and shall act in a manner consistent with, the provisions of the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone. SEC. 4. (a) In carrying out the provisions of this Act, the President is authorized to act through such officers or agencies of the United States as he may deem advisable. (b) There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to enable the President to carry out the provisions of this Act. SEC. 5. As used in this Act (1) The term "territorial sea" means the belt of sea adjacent to the coast of the United States over which it has sovereignty and which lies between its land territory and internal waters and the high seas. (2) The term "United States" means the several States and any insular or other territory of the United States. GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Hon. EDWARD A. GARMATZ, Washington, D.C., May 23, 1966. Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: This letter is in further reply to your request for the views of this Department with respect to H.R. 9530, a bill "To protect coastal fishery and other resources by implementing the Convention on the Territorial Sea and in the Contiguous Zone." This bill would express the sense of Congress that the United States should implement the Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone (TIAS 5639) which came into force on September 10, 1964, by marking on large scale charts officially recognized by the United States the baseline for measuring the breadth of the territorial sea pursuant to Article 3 of the Convention and that in localities where the coastline is deeply indented and cut into, or if there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity, the method of straight baselines joining appropriate points be employed in drawing the baseline pursuant to Article 4 of the Convention. As this bill involves questions pertaining to international relations, national security, and the Submerged Lands Act, this Department defers to the agencies most directly concerned with these matters. |