I would like to have the liberty to introduce one of my colleagues, Mrs. Richard, who is a marine biologist, who has worked for the State and for the various groups on the sound and in the river, who has some real new thoughts on how we can do something constructive about this; and none of these kinds of things have been mentioned before, so, with your permission, I will call upon Mrs. Richard. She will take about 2 minutes. She is a very quick talker and very quick thinker. Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you very much, Mrs. Conover.

Mrs. RICHARD. Senator Ribicoff, Senator Mathias, thank you for allowing me to speak.

I would just like to tell you that I was a member of a 15-year study on the oceanography of Long Island Sound done by Yale University. My particular part of it was to study the ground fish populations of Block Island and Long Island Sound.

The production in Long Island Sound of plankton and animals that live on the bottom is about the highest of any place in the world that has been studied. However, the production of ground fish is very much less than areas such as Chesapeake Bay and the English Channel.

If you take the problem of the lack of fishing production and the problem, sociologically, of the increase in population around the sound, it can be that your commission and some of the State agencies could increase the production in the sound without hurting, at all, either the natural areas on the shore or the animals living in the sound.

I am not going to burden you with the problem of pollution, et cetera, which you have been hearing plenty about, but I would like to see your commission and the State agencies working, for instance, with the power companies, which you are going to have to have-you have no way out of it-to increase the shrimp farm, to increase the oyster culture.

I can envision marinas architects designing marinas that would go along breakwaters, go along bridge abutments, et cetera, to make artificial reefers to increase the sports fishery. Sand and gravel is no problem. Bring the oysters up. The Japanese have a huge population of oysters by raising them in rafts.

All of these things can be done together. In no way do you have to hurt the shoreline in order to increase industrial capacity, electric power, and problems of recreational boating.

That is all I have.

Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you very much. We appreciate your constructive suggestions.

Mrs. Bowers.

STATEMENT OF MRS. BOWERS, SIERRA CLUB

Mrs. BOWERS. Senator Ribicoff, Senator Mathias, I am here today representing the views of the Connecticut group of the Sierra Club, and I would like to present the following letter as part of the meetings we have had and suggestions we would propose to you.

The Connecticut group of Sierra Club has had a continuing concern for the environmental problems of Long Island Sound, and, with wise ecological direction, the development, preservation or use of its natural resources, we are pleased to endorse the purposes of S. 2472 and its companion bill, H.R. 12389, to establish an intergovernmental commission on Long Island Sound.

Indeed, because of the lateness of the hour, witness the inroads of deterioration which have already placed the sound in a state of crisis in terms of various types of pollution, in terms of shoreline destruction, in terms of marine and wildlife losses and of population pressures.

We urge prompt action by such a commission to bring in reports and recommendations with the many studies that have and are being done on various aspects of the ecology of Long Island Sound and its shoreline. Would it not be possible to complete such a study as proposed by S. 2472 in far less time than 36 months?

The Sierra Club is also concerned with the ongoing degradation upon this natural resource which rightfully belongs to all citizens of our two States, New York and Connecticut-yes, and to all of the citi zens of the United States. Until a comprehensive plan of action is enacted for the wise use of all of Long Island Sound's natural resources, cannot a moratorium be placed on actions which adversely affect these natural resources of the sound and its adjacent areas? Could not such a moratorium immediately apply to at least all such activities that consume these natural resources and are now subject to permits granted by our respective governmental bodies?

It has become an effort of tremendous proportions on the part of various citizen organizations and groups to expend much of their hard-raised funds and voluntary energies to halt ecological destruction of our cause to the marshlands and landscape. Is it right that extensive private purchasing must still be done to preserve our marshlands, not just for today but for the future? Is it right that a conservation organization must institute suit to protect our marshlands and ecological-value mud plants while our State restricts it in the instrumentation of the public act concerned?

If the number is to be of value, this report is to include not only proposed solutions and recommendations, not only on all the points; it needs also to spell out the implementation of recommendations and a time schedule for such.

The job has only begun with the submission of the final report. Some provision needs to be made for methods of implementing the proposals and recommendations covered in the commission's plan or proposal, that the commission stay in being to review and update any plan on a regular basis.

The many types of pollution-oil, sewage, pesticide, thermal, air and so on, the destruction of the landscape by dredging, drilling, diking, directing the consumption of finite resources, and the multitude of conflicts in terms of the use of natural environment-all these are the result of a common problem; that is the problem of excluding population. Certainly, the density of people living in proximity to the Long Island Sound and its tributaries and the problems resulting therefrom must be part of the studies of this commission.

Finally, it is recommended that the commission include among its members representation from the citizen conservation organizations which have worked closely with the problems of Long Island Sound. It is also recommended that the commission include among its members top-level ecologists who are independent of governmental or industrial obligations and who are well qualified to review committee reports and take part in the final premise made by this commission. I make the point here that I feel that there should be in the final

decision, not just in giving reports to the commission-this is one step further-an offer that has been for technical advisers.

It is requested that this letter, representing the views, be placed in the record of your hearings here in New London. The Sierra Club also applauds your efforts, Senator Ribicoff, in initiating the efforts in bringing about the proper coordinated regulation and action needed to develop and preserve the natural resources and beauty of Long Island Sound and its adjacent areas.

Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you very much, Mrs. Bowers. The letter will go in the record in its entirety.

(See exhibit 6, p. 142.)

Mrs. BOWERS. Thank you.

I would like, personally, perhaps, to add my reply to the questions which both of you gentlemen have raised so much this morning and again this afternoon, of who do we consider is responsible for the situation we are in, in terms of pollution and deterioration of the sound. My answer to that would be that we all are, the individuals, industry, and government.

Individuals have had chances through the years. Some of us have tried, initiated one of the first easements to preserve a marshland in order to have a test case on it. It was not enough to be an individual or to have the help that came with that case.

Industry has had many chances to show its initiative, and only were so with most reluctance, but almost all of them, with only nominative amount, have made corrective measures for what their responsibility may be.

In terms of government, our local governments, our State governments, have had chances-in fact, indeed, we have had laws, but unfortunately the minimum word of the law has been followed. There has been little creativity in the exercising authority given them by the various legislative governmental authorities. I feel now that the Federal Government must pull together these various facets and represent all and try to see if perhaps they can show some action.

Time for studying is always; it is ongoing; it is continuous. But we must not forget that the time for action is now.

We need a specific scheduled program that begins yesterday-yesterday would be possible; I would suggest yesterday-but, as excellent as studies will be, it is not until we complement them and do something with our studies that we will accomplish what we hope to do here. Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you very much, madam. Although you deserve a bouquet, I did not bring you one this time.

Mr. Pope.

STATEMENT OF ARTHUR POPE, TRUSTEE OF THE BRANFORD LAND CONSERVATION TRUST

Mr. POPE. My name is Arthur Pope, and I am a trustee of the Branford Land Conservation Trust. I shall try to be as brief as possible.

We have heard a lot about the filling in of marshland and how destructive they are, and this is true, and also the effects of pollution on our marshlands, but also this phragmites, more commonly known as pampas grass, gets in this job, too.

Although the State does have some kind of a control on it, they do not have enough information as to exactly how to control it.

We have all seen the phragmites, or pampas grass. We have traveled the highways or down to the marshland; and what it actually does is turn wet lands into dry lands, because it retains the sand blown by the wind and thereby filling up the wet lands.

Then, too, they're very decorative, and sometimes they are taken off for floral decorations. They are colored and pretty and discarded, and that is how the seeds start all over again.

I am a member of the Branford Land Trust, as I said. We have 150 members, and we are all active in trying to do our part to protect the environment.

We had a recent meeting of the trustees, and our President, Bud Anderson, made a few remarks-I happen to also be the public relations chairman, and, for the sake of brevity, I am not going to read three or four pages. It will be a part of his remarks, and I think it is very germane to what we are talking about, and it brings up the part the individual citizen can play in the total picture.

Mr. Anderson stated that the problems that exist within and upon the hundreds of miles of the sound's shoreline are varied and complex. Federal help is needed, he explained, but, in the long run, it will be the homework done by each community that will balance out the job.

Local groups, such as the Branford Land Trust, can give the ordinary citizen a chance to participate in programs that can uplift the environmental quality of his own neighborhood. Anderson also pointed out that both the protection of the ecology and economic growth are vital for the future betterment of the area, but the extension of one does not necessarily have to be at the expense of the other. After all, he said, technology in and of itself has never polluted one stream or erased one acre of marsh; only the misuse of technology by shortsighted and selfish persons has done this.

He went on to inform commercial interests and Government agencies, such as highway departments, et cetera, to be more receptive to the warnings issued by the scientists and to the police made by sincere and concerned citizens. The Land Trust president concluded his remarks_by_stating that the regulations and guidelines that can come from the Long Island Sound study offers the chance for a fresh start, and the Branford Land Trust stands ready to assist in any manner it can.

I want to thank you again.

Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you.

What is your contention? That the existence of that pampas grass dries up marshland?

Mr. POPE. Yes. It is very visible in any wetland area, and anybody that travels along any area-it is also one side. I am just a layman on it: I cannot give you the technical processes, what happens, but it is very visible that this pampas grass, so-called because it was brought up inadvertently from South America, from Argentina, was introduced here, and it grows wild. You have all seen it, and it is often mistaken as marsh grass, which it isn't.

Senator MATHIAS. Have you been in touch with the U.S. Department of Agriculture with respect to this problem?

Mr. POPE. We have as a group. We have talked with the State board of fisheries and game, and they are the ones that are doing some work

on the control of it. They are also interested in buying up marshlands for hunting purposes, but, when they see any area incidentally, Senator, I think those are in the Chesapeake area, no doubt-when they see an area infested with this pampas grass or phragmites is the technical term-they just walk by it, because it has lost all its productivity for birds cannot nest here, or wild flowers, and certainly it actually hinders the filtering of the nutrients and things from the wetlands. What happens is that the wind will blow the sand, usually, and it begins at the perimeter of the wetlands, and I have seen marshes completely covered with it, and it moves out as the sand forms in the back, and in time it takes over marshes.

Senator RIBICOFF. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Pope.
Mr. POPE. Thank you, sir.

Senator RIBICOFF. Mr. Waitsman.

STATMENT OF IRWIN M. WAITSMAN, GALES FERRY, CONN.

Mr. WAITSMAN. Senators, I am Irwin M. Waitsman, a resident of Gales Ferry, Conn. I have recently completed the requirements for a master's degree in marine affairs, University of Rhode Island, through a sea grant sponsored program there. A portion of my research during this program was concened with coastal zone management.

I have reviewed the bill S. 2472 and support it, and urge the enactment of legislation embodying the intent of the bill.

I appreciate the opportunity to specifically comment on the proposed legislation. My remarks here today are synthesized from a paper I prepared and placed in a context that has relevancy to the proposed legislation, S. 2472. I have a copy of that, if you are concerned.

Senator RIBICOFF. We would like it for the committee files, if we could have it.

(The paper can be found in the subcommittee files.)
Mr. WAITSMAN. Fine.

Senator RIBICOFF. This is a copy that you can spare?
Mr. WAITSMAN. Yes, sir.

Long Island Sound has many effects upon the States of Connecticut and New York. One may even extrapolate with some justification that the uses of the country's largest proteced estuarine resource cause a great social and economic impact at the national level. One of the severe problems of many communities with jurisdiction over the uses of the sound is their failure to properly use the resource base which the sound represents.

Human and capital resources are mobile. They have a tendency to move toward places where they obtain the highest reward in monetary or social benefits. Such places are either rich in extractable resources, have a location advantage or have a favorable environment; Long Island Sound possesses all these advantages.

The coastal communities of the United States truly represent this trend, as evidenced by the fact that 52 percent of the population live in coastal counties, according to the 1960 census. I am sure that the 1970 census will indicate that the trend is toward a greater concentration in this area.

Within the megalopolis of the Northeast corridor, the pressures caused by the uses of Long Island Sound, where the meeting of the