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Contents:

CONTROLLING POLLUTION
 Air Pollution —Sulfur Oxides	2
 Water Pollution Due to Municipal Wastes	2
 Water Quality—Sediment	5
 Water Quality—Toxic Waste Disposal	5
 Ocean Dumping	6
 Noise Pollution	7
 Toxic Substances	8
 Pest Control	9
 Solid Waste Recycling	11

IMPROVING LAND USE
 A National Land Use Policy	11
 Protecting Coastal Wetlands	12
 Powerplant Siting	13
 Mined Area Protection	14
 Preserving Our Architectural and Historic Heritage	15
 Public Lands Management	16

PROTECTING OUR NATURAL HERITAGE
 Predator Control	18
 Endangered Species	19
 A Legacy of Parks	19
 Big Cypress National Fresh Water Preserve	20
 Wilderness Areas	21
 Off-Road  Vehicles	22

EXPANDING INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
 United Nations Fund for The Environment	23
 Marine Pollution	23

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Air pollution —Sulfur oxides
The problem:
About one-half of the estimated total damage from air pollution can
be traced to sulfur oxides.
It is conservatively estimated that annual sulfur oxide pollution costs
our Nation
• $3 3 billion in national health costs
• $5 billion in damages to materials, property and vegetation.
This total damage of $8.3 billion amounts to over 20 for each pound
of sulfur now emitted into our atmosphere each year
controlling pollution
In 1970, some 29.2 million tons of sulfur oxides were emitted by
power plants, smelters, refineries and other sources This figure could
quadruple in less than 30 years if emissions are not controlled.
Under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency has
established air quality standards for 6 major pollutants including sulfur
oxides The States must implement the Act’s ‘primary” or health protection
standards by 1975 . and its “secondary” or property, vegetation and
esthetics protection standards within a reasonable time.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon has proposed a Pure Air Tax on sulfur oxide air
pollution Based on the Clean Air Act, the President’s proposal would tax
polluters 1 5C for each pound of sulfur emitted when health standards are
not met; and 10 a pound when health standards are met but secondary
standards are not; with no charge in regions where both standards are met.
Water pollution due to municipal wastes
The problem:
Our needs for effective waste treatment plants have out-paced actual
construction. Although the Federal Government has assisted States and
municipalities with waste treatment plant financing, only about one-third of
the funds authorized by the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966 through
1971 were appropriated.
Federal funds first increased significantly in 1970, to $800 million
from $214 million in 1969 For 1971, the Congress appropriated $1 billion,
consistent with President Nixon’s request for $1 billion per year for 4 years
as the Federal Government’s share of a $10 billion program.
An updated municipal sewage treatment needs survey in 1970
showed a need fora $12 billion National program for 1972-4, with a Federal
share of $6 billion

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The President’s proposal:
Recognizing that the major obstacle to building new waste treatment
plants is financial, President Nixon has proposed
• authorizing $6 billion over the next 3 years to provide the Federal share
of the $12 billion required
• modernizing the allocation formula to correspond better with waste
treatment needs
• granting bonuses for treatment systems capable of meeting expansion
needs on a self-sufficient basis
• creating an Environmental Financing Authority to help municipalities
with credit problems sell waste treatment plant construction bonds
• requiring municipalities seeking Federal assistance to recover a portion
of costs from the industrial users whose wastes they treat.
Water quality—Standards and enforcement
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act requires States to establish
water quality standards subject to approval by the Environmental Protection
Agency.
Often imprecise and limited to interstate waters, these water quality
standards frequently do not include all important variables.
Enforcement authority also is inadequate. The Federal Water Pollu-
tion Control Act authorizes only two enforcement procedures: court action
following a 180-day notice or the convening of an enforcement confer-

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ence whose recommendations may be followed by court action. No fines
are authorized.
Federal authority is limited to pollution between the States, except
when a Governor requests Federal action or shellfish are being damaged.
The current law does not give the Federal Government authority to take
immediate action when water pollution is an imminent danger to health...
or threatens irreversible damage to water quality.
The President’s proposal:
In December of 1970, President Nixon instituted a program to require
Federal permits under the Refuse Act of 1899 for all industrial discharges
into navigable waters.A polluter is liable to civil or criminal court action
whenever he does not have a permit, fails to comply with a permit, or is
denied a permit due to non-compliance with water quality standards.
To correct deficiencies in current standards, President Nixon has
proposed legislation to strengthen water quality standards. The legislation
calls for standards in all U.S. navigable waters and national standards to
regulate the discharge of hazardous substances.
In addition, the President’s legislation would authorize fines of up to
$25,000 a day for violation of standards. This fine could be as high as
$50,000 a day for repeated violations. The legislation would also allow the
Federal Government to act promptly in situations where water pollution
constitutes an immediate danger to health or threatens irreversible damage
to water quality.
To help enforce standards, this legislation would authorize private
citizens to bring legal action against violators.
The President also seeks a new permit program that would apply to
municipalities as well as industries. This permit program would eventually
4
A “carpet” of dead fish, victims of a massive
fish-kill caused by polluted waters.

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become State-administered, subject to continued Federal approval
In addition, President Nixon recommends a tripling of Federal grants
for State water quality programs—from $10 million to $30 million—over the
next 4 years.
Status:
In November 1971, the Senate passed a bill which contained a num-
ber of the President’s water quality proposals. The Senate Public Works
Committee has referred the President’s Environmental Financing Authority
bill to the Banking, Housing and Currency Committee The House in March
1972 passed a different bill, which also contains many of the President’s
proposals, including the Environmental Financing Authority. These bills
must now be considered by a House-Senate conference committee.
Water quality—Sediment
The problem:
Although sediment is the major pollutant of waters by weight and
volume, it has not been fully recognized under water quality laws, which
deal primarily with point sources of pollution.
Sediment reduces vital sunlight penetration in water, covers fish and
plant organisms, fouls public drinking water supplies and transports bac-
teria, nutrients and other harmful substances.
The Department of Agriculture administers several financial and tech-
nical assistance programs to reduce agricultural sedimentation, but controls
over sediment from urban land development and roads are limited to guide-
lines for Federally-insured housing and Federally-assisted highway con-
struction, focusing primarily on project design Construction activities in
developing areas often contribute heavily to severe localized sediment
problems.
The President’s proposal:
The President has proposed legislation calling on the States to create
sediment control programs for land development and road-building activ-
ities, pursuant to Federal guidelines The Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) could enforce these State programs through procedures in the Fed-
eral Water Pollution Control Act The President’s proposed legislation would
also authorize EPA regulations for States failing to put approved programs
into action
Water quality—Toxic waste disposal
The problem:
Because of increasingly restrictive government pollution controls for
air and water, industries increasingly are disposing of their wastes on or
under the land
“Deep well” injection and other forms of land disposal of toxic wastes
can lead to contamination of underground or surface waters This contami-
nation can endanger human health through water supplies and fish

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Many State laws are inadequate. The Federal Government currently
has no authority to control toxic waste disposal. Both Federal leadership
and effective back-up authority are needed to stimulate more uniform and
adequate regulations by the States.
The President’s proposal:
A Toxic Waste Disposal Control Act proposed by President Nixon
would provide a nationwide program to regulate the disposal of wastes that
present human health hazards.
The President’s program would be administered by the States, under
Federal guidelines, with the Federal Government retaining authority to act
when States fail to meet Federal guidelines. The Federal government would
also designate areas where certain types of waste disposal would not be
permitted.
Ocean dumping
The problem:
Ocean dumping is an emerging problem that could grow more critical
without a regulatory program to ensure that harmful dumping is strictly
limited and that feasible land disposal methods are used whenever possible.
Some ocean dumping already has created serious environmental
damage. Some of the wastes being dumped deplete oxygen near shore
areas, reduce fish populations and other economic resources, and foul
the waters.
Current regulations are not adequate to control the damage of ocean
dumping:
• Most dumping occurs outside State jurisidiction
• The authority of the Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for facilitat-
ing navigation, is largely confined to the territorial sea
• The Coast Guard has no direct authority to regulate ocean dumping
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers water quality
6 standards within territorial waters only. It does not have the authority to
require permits for ocean dumping.
Rational control of ocean dumping can insure that our seashores remain like this.

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The President’s proposal:
In 1971, President Nixon proposed a comprehensive national policy
on ocean dumping that would ban unregulated dumping of all materials
into oceans, estuaries and the Great Lakes It would also limit the dumping
of any materials harmful to the marine environment
The President’s proposal would require a permit from the Adminis-
trator of EPA for the transportation and dumping of any wastes which
originate in the United States into estuaries, the Great Lakes, and the
oceans anywhere in the world, and for dumping by foreign nations in our
territorial waters and in the 12-mile offshore contiguous zone
The Administrator would
• ban dumping of harmful materials
• designate safe disposal sites for others
• refine and modify ocean dumping criteria as new knowledge is gained
The proposed ocean dumping legislation — to be enforced by the
Coast Guard — provides an opportunity to prevent irreversible harm to the
marine environment
Status:
The House and Senate have both passed bills based primarily on the
President’s proposal. These bills are now in conference
Noise pollution
The problem:
The rising level of noise that assails the American people, particularly
in urban areas, is increasingly annoying and often endangers health. Air-
planes, trucks, construction equipment, and many other sources of noise
interrupt sleep, disturb communication, create stress, and can produce
deafness and other adverse physiological and psychological effects. A
1971 report by the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that as
many as 80 million Americans are significantly affected by noise
State and local governments have experienced difficulties in control-
ling noise pollution. They are limited by a lack of knowledge and expertise
They cannot deal effectively with consumer and industrial products manu-
factured for national markets.
The Federal government already has these limited authorities:
• the Federal Aviation Administration is authorized to control the noise
generated by civil aircraft
• the Department of Transportation is authorized to set highway noise
levels
• the Departments of Labor and Health, Education and Welfare regulate
the occupational noise exposure of work performed by firms involved
in interstate commerce.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon proposed legislation authorizing the Environmental

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Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate noise levels on such major noise
sources as transportation vehicles, construction equipment and some ma-
chinery driven by internal combustion engines Aimed at minimizing noise
levels, this 1971 proposal would require the EPA ’s approval of the aircraft
noise standards prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration and
would authorize EPA to require labelling of the noise levels of products
such as home appliances
Status:
The House passed a bill in February 1972 substantially embodying
the President’s proposal The Senate Commerce and Public Works Com-
mittees have held hearings
Toxic substances
The problem:
More than 9,000 organic chemicals are now being manufactured.
Several hundred metallic compounds are in commercial use And several
hundred new chemical substances are marketed commercially each year.
Many of these substances present potential hazards to human health and
the environment:
• compounds of mercury can destroy brain and other nerve cells and may
produce birth defects
• compounds of cadmium have been associated with hypertension and
heart disease
• PCB’s (polych lorinated biphenyls) have been found to have adverse
environmental and health effects
• some heavy metals, their compounds and synthetic organic com-
pounds can cause cancer and birth defects
The problems become more serious and complicated as chemical
changes occur when these toxic substances enter the environment
Pesticides, food additives and drugs must be approved for safety
prior to marketing. Other chemicals are regulated by controlling their dis-
charge into the environment through air and water pollution laws. Neither
method fully protects the public from the hazards of toxic substances
The President’s proposal:
The President in 1971 proposed legislation that calls for:
• restricting or prohibiting the sale or use of chemical substances that
would in the judgment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
harm public health or the environment
• safety tests to be performed by manufacturers under EPA standards
• allowing new substances to be marketed only after they have satisfied
their safety tests
• establishing a uniform Federal system for classifying and handling
information on chemical substances, to be coordinated by the Council
on Environmental Quality.

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Status:
The Senate Commerce Committee has concluded hearings and
reported a bill The House has held hearings
Pest control
The problem:
Chemicals created to control pests have adverse environmental side
effects, illustrated by the decline of several of our bird species, and can be
hazardous to man himself
The Department of Agriculture has been conducting research in
“integrated pest management’, which involves maximum use of biological
and other natural ecological pest controls and limited use of selected chem-
icals when necessary, thus minimizing danger to public health and the
environment
The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
which currently regulates pesticides has two major problems
• it relies almost entirely on users to read labels on pesticide containers
and follow instructions
• procedures for registering, cancelling and suspending pesticides are
inadequate and cumbersome. Several years often pass between the
time a cancellation order us issued and the time it becomes effective
The present act has no feature that can stop the sale of a pesticide
once its registration has been suspended. There are also no ways of keep-
ing track of where pesticides are manufactured or controlling their ship-
ment within State lines
The President’s proposal:
In 1971, President Nixon proposed that FIFRA be replaced by a
Federal Environmental Pesticide Act that would classify registered pesti-
cides for “general”, or “restricted” use or for “use by permit only”
“Restricted” pesticides would be used only by trained applicators
and licensed by the States Approval from a licensed consultant would be
required for use of “permit-only” pesticides
The President also proposed changes that would stop sales of pesti-
cides that violate the Act and call for registration and inspection of pesticide
manufacturers and processors.
Status:
The House of Representatives has passed a bill incorporating most
of the President’s recommendations. The Senate Agriculture Committee
has conducted hearings
Administrative actions by the President
To protect agricultural workers from exposure to hazardous chemi-
cals, the President has directed the Department of Labor and the Depart-
ment of Health, Education and Welfare to establish standards under the
Occupational Safety and Health Act

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The President directed the Department of Agriculture, the National
Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency to begin a
new $3.5 million per year research program to develop new field tech-
niques of integrated pest management for selected major crops.
The Department of Agriculture will increase its field testing of prom is-
ing new pest detection and control methods.
The President authorized the expansion of a pilot field scout program
in which farmers, high school and college students check fields for pest and
beneficial insect levels. He has also requested a review of all Federal pest
control programs to determine where integrated pest management can
be used.
The President has directed the Departments of Agriculture and
Health, Education and Welfare to stimulate new career opportunities in
integrated pest management through State certification and university
training programs.
Recovery of metals and glass from
incinerator refuse for recycling.

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Solid waste recycling
The problem:
As long as it remains more economical to dump and burn waste ma-
terials rather than recycle them, industry will increasingly consume more
virgin materials than recycled materials. And solid wastes will continue to
create unsightly dumps as well as air and water pollution.
The Resource Recovery Act of 1970 provides authority to develop
and demonstrate recycling technology and provides for studies of second-
ary markets and economics.
The President’s proposal:
To make recycling more economically appealing, President Nixon
directed the Treasury Department to clarify the availability of tax exempt
industrial development bonds for recycling facilities. This clarification
permits private firms to use these bonds to finance facilities to recycle
municipal wastes as well as their own industrial wastes, thus providing
a substantial economic incentive for recycling.
improving land use
A national land use policy
The problem:
In their search for greater tax revenue, local governments often ii
allow massive building in areas which cannot support this type of develop-
ment. For example:
• Flood plains, hazardous for settlement, are often allowed as sites for
high density urbanization.
• Coastal wetlands, in which development should be limited both for
environmental and public safety reasons, also are exploited to broaden
the tax base.
• Public facilities such as major airports, highways and recreational
facilities induce growth which, the structure of local planning and
zoning, and existing transportation and other public facilities often
cannot handle.
• Educational institutions, public beach access, multi-family dwellings
and municipal service facilities sorely needed by regional areas are
often discouraged by haphazard, short-sighted local zoning.

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Without a well-planned state-supervised land use policy, regional
needs cannot be met by local communities in an orderly manner, and
unnecessary environmental damage occurs, which could be averted with
proper controls
The President’s proposal:
In 1971 President Nixon proposed a program in which $100 million
would be provided over a 5-year period to assist States in planning and
regulating land use. Because of critical problems in the coastal areas, the
coastal and Great Lakes States would receive high priority in funding
States which fail to develop or establish an adequate land use program by
1975 would become ineligible for further financial assistance under the
proposed act
In 197 President Nixon proposed new amendments to strengthen
the Land Use Policy Bill Under these amendments, any State which
failed to establish its land use program by 1975 would suffer an annual
incremental 7% cutback in airport and airway development funds, Federal
highway funds, and grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The amendments would also require States to control the siting of,
as well as land use around, major airports, highway interchanges and
recreational facilities.
While this legislation cannot cure all land use problems, it would
reform the institutional and regulatory processes that now frustrate rational
land use, requiring State, rather than fragmented local action, where
needed.
Status:
Both House and Senate Interior Committees have concluded
hearings-
Protecting coastal wetlands
The problem:
12 The coastal wetlands serve as a temporary or permanent home for
more than two-thirds of the marine life of the United States, supplying food
and serving as spawning grounds and nurseries for the young. They also
provide needed habitat for a wide variety of wildlife These same lands
have caught the attention of developers because their relatively low costs
do not reflect the environmental benefits they provide
When a developer works a tract of coastal wetlands, he dredges,
drains and fills the land so that its natural use is often totally lost This
environmental loss is felt far beyond the local site
Current tax laws provide a number of incentives to stimulate develop-
ment in general Because of the ecological value of wetlands, however, tax
benefits for development in these areas work against society’s interests
The President’s proposal:
To discourage unnecessary development of our coastal wetlands,

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President Nixon has submitted specific amendments to the Internal
Revenue Code (IRC). These amendments apply to the improvements of
real property held for business purposes. These rules would
• limit depreciation on improvements to the “straight line” method of
calculation
• apply strict recapture rules on the sale of the property
• require that interest and taxes incurred during construction in coastal
wetlands be added to taxable capital rather than deducted as an
expense
• require that expenditures by farmers for land clearing or soil and water
conservation on coastal wetlands also be added to capital rather than
deducted as expenses.
Powerplant siting
The problem: 13
Recent power shortages dramatize the need for long-term planning
for the location and construction of large-scale electric power plants and
transmission lines, Planning and controls are necessary because these
facilities pose real threats to environmental quality. With the Federal Power
Commission projecting a national need for some 300 new powerplants by
1990, an institutional framework for siting plants and transmission lines
must be developed to prevent deterioration of the landscape and pollution
of air and water and to permit continued enjoyment of recreational and
other resources.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon’s 1971 proposal for a Power Plant Siting Act requires
that all electric utilities make their long-range plans open to the public.
These plans must include 10-year projections of power needs and any
additional generating and transmitting facilities. Advance reviews of tenta-

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tive sites would be made 5 years prior to construction. And a pre-construc-
tion review would require each utility to apply for certification of a bulk
power plant or major transmission line 2 years prior to construction.
Status:
The House Commerce Committee has concluded hearings. The
Senate Commerce Committee has started hearings.
Mined area protection
The problem:
With the Nation requiring more minerals and fuel than ever, there
will be increases in the environmental degradation—of air, water and
land—that accompany mining activities unless adequate controls are im-
posed on these activities.
Large electric generating facility.
Cooling towers used to avoid thermal
pollution from electric neratiot7.
14
Strip pit before backflhling.
pit after backfilling.

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While mining controls are basically State responsibilities, State
laws regulating the environmental effects of underground mining are very
limited By February of 1972 only 28 States had enacted legislation relating
to the environmental effects of surface mining In 4 of these States the
legislation is limited to coal mining. Twenty-two States have no surface
mining regulations. And enforcement and administration of existing laws
require strengthening Although more than half the States have active
underground mining, only a few have adequate regulatory authority to
control underground operations
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon’s 1971 proposed legislation calls for Federal author-
ity to help assure adequate State regulation of surface and underground
mining The States would have 2 years to implement an environmental
protection program for mining activities based on Federal guidelines
established by the Secretary of the Interior If a State does not comply,
the Federal Government would establish a control program
Status:
The House and Senate Interior Committees have concluded hearings
Preserving our architectural and historic heritage
The problem:
Maintaining historic buildings tends to be impractical when
• costs of rehabilitation and maintenance are high
• sizable improvement loans are often difficult to obtain
• Federal tax laws are currently structured to favor tearing down older
structures and building short-lived new buildings
Present laws cannot save historic properties from demolition once
they are transferred from Federal to State or public owners And cities
which accept these buildings free-of-charge often cannot afford to preserve
them because of existing Federal laws which forbid their use as revenue 15
producing or commercial buildings.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon has proposed amendments to the Internal Revenue
Code to provide a faster writeoff of rehabilitation expenses for historic
buildings. The President also outlined incentives to discourage the demoli-
tion of registered significant historic structures President Nixon has also
requested legislative authority for the Federal Housing Administration to
insure historic building restoration loans of up to $15,000 for a maximum
of 15 years
In an Executive Order issued in 1971, the President ordered a full
inventory and evaluation of all Federal buildings with historic, archeological
or architectural significance
President Nixon also proposed legislation in 1971 that would allow
State and municipal governments to receive historic Federal surplus

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___ 1
: . ____ _______
Paul Revere I-louse (Boston, Mass.)
properties at no cost and to restore and maintain for commercial purposes
as long as their historical character is respected.
Status:
The Senate has passed the bill concerning surplus Federal properties
and the House Government Operations Committee has held hearings on it.
The Banking and Currency Committees in both Houses have concluded
hearings on the loan insurance proposals.
Public lands management
The problem:
While one-third of the nation’s land area is publicly owned, the
Federal Government has never been given comprehensive legal direction
16
Old North Church (Boston, Mass.)

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for administering and managing lands which have not been set aside for
specific single uses such as parks, forests and wildlife refuges. In addition,
there are no laws outlining policy on such important areas as retention and
disposal, classification for use, or protecting the environment.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon’s 1971 Natural Resource Land Management Act
would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to manage the public domain
lands under principles of multiple use and sustained yield in a manner that
will more effectively protect environmental quality.
Status:
Hearings have been held by both House and Senate Interior
Committees.
17

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Predator control
The problem:
To protect domestic livestock from predators, the Federal Govern-
ment has been conducting a predator control program since 1915. Since
the late 1940’s a poison called 1080 was used to minimize the coyote popu-
lation. Although the poison has killed coyotes as well as non-target animals,
there has been no overall reduction in sheep losses which can be attributed
protecting our natural heritage
to the program. Yet the use of poisons on public lands has caused increasing
concern to the public.
In 1971 a study by scientists for the Council on Environmental Quality
and the Department of the Interior showed that poisons used on predator
and other animal control programs may have had uncontrollable secondary
consequences on the ecology.
The study concluded that
• existing programs require major revisions
• coyotes and other animals can be controlled by other non-poison
methods
• the present use of poisons cannot be justified.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon’s proposal would ban use of poisons for predator
control on Federal lands or in Federal programs, including use of poisons
which cause secondary effects in other animal control activities.
This proposal, already implemented for Federal programs through
an Executive Order, would
• shift the Federal emphasis from direct killing to research into non-
poison control methods
• establish a 3-year Federal grant program to assist the States in taking
over predator control operations without the use of poisons.

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Endangered species
The problem:
More than 100 species of fish and wildlife are now on the endangered
species list maintained by the Department of the Interior. However, there
are two serious weaknesses in current laws to protect endangered species.
First, there is no way to identity and protect the 300 additional species
which are likely to become endangered if action is not taken. Until a species
is actually threatened with extinction it cannot be listed. Second, recent
legislation has in the case of even those species listed given no authority
to the Federal Government to control the shooting, trapping or other taking
of endangered species. Federal remedies have been limited to controls on
imports and, in the case of species taken in violation of State laws, on
interstate shipment.
The President’s proposal:
Legislation proposed by President Nixon would create the govern-
mental machinery to act early enough to prevent fish and wildlife from
becoming endangered before the species reach the critical stage. The
bill would make the taking of fish and wildlife on the endangered list a
Federal offense, and it would permit delegation of enforcement authority
to the States.
A legacy of parks
The problem:
The rapid pace of urban development and escalating land values
underscore the need to conserve open spaces, parks and recreational
centers accessible to urban centers. It is up to the Federal Government
to provide leadership and to assist the States and municipalities with
financial aid and by converting surplus Federal land for park and recrea-
tional use.
The President’s proposal:
The President has proposed legislation to create recreational areas

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in 2 national gateway cities—New York and San Francisco.
In May 1971, President Nixon proposed the establishment of a
23,000-acre Gateway National Recreation Area composed of prime
beaches, wildlife preserves and historic attractions in New York and New
Jersey.
The President proposed, too, the establishment of the 24,740-acre
Golden Gate National Recreation Area along a 30-mile coastline area
north and south of Golden Gate Bridge.
In 1971, President Nixon also proposed amendments to the Land
and Water Conservation Fund Act that would channel a greater share of
the fund under the State grants program for indoor and outdoor recrea-
tional areas in densely populated areas.
In addition, the President proposed changes in the Internal Revenue
Code to encourage and facilitate the charitable donation of land interests
by private citizens
Status:
The proposal to establish the New York City area Gateway National
Recreation Area has passed the Senate. Hearings have been held by the
House Interior Committee, which has also held hearings on the proposed
amendments to the Land and Water Conservation Fund The Senate has
not yet acted on the amendments.
Administrative actions by the President:
Established by the President in 1970, the Property Review Board
has added 111 Federal properties to the 40 named in 1971 as suitable for
park areas. President Nixon also announced that 20 new land parcels will
be added to the 63 actually made available for park use in 1971. These 83
properties—with a market value of more than $56 million—total 11,585
acres in 31 States and Puerto Rico.
Big Cypress Nationai Fresh Water Preserve
20 The problem:
The Big Cypress, a fragile area interlocked with Everglades National
Park, is dependent on an adequate quality and volume of fresh water to
sustain itself as part of the South Florida ecosystem.
Threatening the ecology of this unique area are
• The threatened development of a jetport and related facilities just 6
miles north of Everglades National Park
• The expansion of south Florida urban and agricultural activities requir-
ing flood control and drainage
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon has proposed that the Federal Government acquire
the requisite interest in 547,000 acres of this land, at a cost of up to $156
million The land, called Big’Cypress National Fresh Water Preserve, would
be created to protect the quality of water and wildlife of the area

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trail (Bronx, N. Y.)
Wlldrness areas
The problem:
Acting under the provisions of The Wilderness Act of 1964, the Presi-
dent has recommended new wilderness area sites which Americans can
enjoy as unspoiled recreational areas. While the wilderness area designa-
tion program lagged behind schedule for a number of years, it now appears
that the 1974 statutory deadline for reviews can be met.
The President’s proposal:
In 1971, President Nixon proposed 14 new wilderness areas (1.8
million acres) and resubmitted 13 others (1.3 million acres). In addition, he
Big Cypress Swamp (proposed National Fresh t
21

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proposed 4 additional areas in 1971, and 18 additional areas in 1972 (1.3
million acres). Eight of the areas proposed in 1972 are in National Forests;
4 within National Park areas; 6 in National Wildlife Refuges. Some of these
new areas will be added in the heavily populated Eastern States where
primitive recreational opportunities are especially limited and where the
President has directed that special emphasis be given.
If approved, the proposed additions would bring our total wilderness
system to more than 15 million acres.
Status:
A total of 47 of the President’s proposed wilderness areas are now
before Congress. The Congress has enacted 2 of the areas resubmitted by
President Nixon in 1971.
Off-road vehicles
The problem:
With Americans owning more than 5 million trailbikes, snowmobiles,
dune buggies, all-terrain and other oft-road vehicles, the use of these
vehicles on Federal lands has created the problem of excessive noise,
harassment of wildlife, injury to vegetation, erosion of trails and stream
banks, as well as the problem of litter.
Administrative action:
To protect the resources of the land, promote the safety of all users of
the land and minimize conflict among the various users of the land, an
Executive Order from the President declared a Federal policy to control
the use of off-road vehicles on public lands. Under this policy, Federal
land management agencies will designate areas where vehicles may and
may not be used and will prescribe operating regulations governing their
use.
22
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Official symbol of the
United Nations Conference
on the Human Environment—
Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972
United Nations Fund for the Environment
The problem:
TheUnited Nations Conference on the Human Environment planned
for Stockholm in June of 1972 will examine a broad spectrum of environ-
mental problems, ranging from urban planning and natural resource man-
agement to marine pollution and new institutional arrangements. The
Conference may also lead to international conventions in important areas.
xpanding international cooperation
To respond effectively to environmental problems, the United
Nations must have the means to act.
The President’s proposal:
President Nixon has proposed that a voluntary United Nations Fund
for the Environment be established with an initial funding goal of $100
million for the first 5 years. If this proposal is adopted, the President will
recommend to the Congress that the United States contribute its fair share
—40%—on a matching basis. 23
Marine pollution
The problem:
Unilateral national action alone cannot adequately deal with oil
spills and other marine pollution that threatens marine life and shore lands.
A primary ‘approach to international marine pollution problems has
been started through the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative
Organization (IMCO).
Recently, IMCO has adopted three separate amendments to the
Oil Pollution Convention of 1954. These amendments would regulate dis-
charges of oil and oily waste from ships, including tankers, establish tank
size limitations and construction requirements for oil tankers, and extend a
flat no-discharge limitation to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef area, all in
order to minimize damage to marine environment from oil spills.
only one earth

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Two additional conventions would provide compensation to victims
damaged by oil spills by placing strict liability on vessel owners up to a
fixed limit, and by establishing an additional compensation fund supported
by contributions from oil cargo receivers Vet another convention would
establish a nation’s right to intervene to protect itself from oil spills due to
a marine casualty occurring on the high seas.
Acting on the President’s request, the Senate has given its advice
and consent to the 1954 Oil Pollution Convention amendment which pro-
vides stricter regulation of oil discharges and to the convention allowing
intervention in cases of marine casualties involving possible oil spills The
remaining amendments and conventions have been forwarded to the
Senate by the President and are awaiting Senate action
The President’s proposal:
On orders from the President, Secretary of Transportation Volpe
proposed that NATO nations completely halt intentional discharges of oil
and oily wastes by the end of the decade The proposal was approved and
was then taken up by IMCO. The proposal will be placed before the 1973
IMCO conference to be put in binding convention form
In addition, the United States is examining measures to develop
undersea resources At a United Nations meeting in August of 1970, the
United States introduced a proposal for an International Seabed Resources
Authority that would control the effects of seabed development and deal
with such matters as creation of international marine parks and preserves.
The United States has placed top priority on completing a conven-
tion providing for world-wide controls on the ocean dumping of shore-
generated wastes. The United States first tabled such a draft convention
at the initial preparatory working session on marine pollution for the Stock-
holm Conference on the Human Environment. Work on a dumping conven-
tion draft continues in negotiating sessions called by individual nations,
24 and these efforts may produce a finished convention by this summer.

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