Special Message to the Congress on Conservation: "To Renew a Nation."

To the Congress of the United States:

Theodore Roosevelt made conservation more than a political issue in America. He made it a moral imperative. More than half a century ago, he sounded this warning:

"To skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed."

The conservation work that Roosevelt began was protection of our natural heritage for the enjoyment and enrichment of all the families of the land. That is work which never ends. It must be taken up anew by each succeeding generation, acting as trustees for the next.

But the conservation problems Theodore Roosevelt saw are dwarfed by the new ones of our own day.

An unfolding technology has increased our economic strength and added to the convenience of our lives.

But that same technology--we know now--carries danger with it.

From the great smoke stacks of industry and from the exhausts of motors and machines, 130 million tons of soot, carbon and grime settle over the people and shroud the Nation's cities each year.

From towns, factories, and stockyards, wastes pollute our rivers and streams, endangering the waters we drink and use.

The debris of civilization litters the landscapes and spoils the beaches.

Conservation's concern now is not only for man's enjoyment--but for man's survival.

Fortunately, we have recognized the threat in time, and we have begun to meet it.

Through the landmark legislation of the past few years we are moving to bring a safe environment both to this generation, and to the America still unborn.

--The Water Quality Act of 1965 and the Clean Water Restoration Act of 1966 provide the foundation of our first major efforts to curb the pollution blighting America's waters.

--The Clean Air Act of 1965 and the Air Quality Act of 1967 build a strong base from which we can begin to clean the air.

--The Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 launched a new program to find the most efficient ways of disposing of millions of tons of solid wastes that clog the city and the countryside.

--The Highway Beautification Act of 1965 laid the groundwork for scenic roads and enjoyable travels.

--Over 2.2 million acres have been authorized for addition to the Nation's Park System--and for the first time in generations more land is being preserved for the people than is being developed for industrial or urban purposes.

But the work of the new conservation, too--like the task we inherited from an earlier day--is unending. Technology is not something which happens once and then stands still. It grows and develops at an electric pace. And our efforts to keep it in harmony with human values must be intensified and accelerated. Indeed, technology itself is the tool with which these new environmental problems can be conquered.

In this Message I shall outline the steps which I believe America must take this year to preserve the natural heritage of its people--a broad heritage that must include not only the wilderness of the unbroken forest, but a safe environment for the crowded city.

A PRIORITY CONSERVATION AGENDA

The dangers that threaten our environment are varied. To succeed in meeting their challenge requires a wide-ranging response, with special emphasis on the items of highest priority.

For Fiscal 1969, I propose a program to complete this vital agenda for action.

First, I recommend that we assure the people that their water supplies will be pure and plentiful now and in the years ahead by:

--Prosecuting the war on water pollution with conviction, combining Federal, State and local efforts to finance the construction this year of $1.5 to $2 billion in community waste treatment plants.

--Creating a National Water Commission to plot the course of water resource management for the next century.

--Helping to assure the quality of community water supplies through the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1968.

--Meeting the water needs of one of America's fastest growing regions by authorizing the Central Arizona Project.

Second, I recommend that we guard the landscape against the waste products of modern life by:

--Protecting rivers, beaches and coastal areas against the devastation of oil spillage and other hazardous substances through strong legislation to control them.

--Preventing the future despoilment of thousands of acres of mining land through the Surface Mining Reclamation Act of 1968.

--Discovering efficient methods to dispose of the millions of tons of refuse and trash that threaten to engulf city and countryside, through an extension of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, and to accelerate the development of economical systems which will convert waste into useful by-products.

--Transforming our highways into corridors of beauty through prompt action to continue the Highway Beautification Program, and building new roadside parks for the traveling family.

Third, I recommend that we advance in the battle for clean air over America's cities by:

--Fully exploiting our vast technology to find new and effective pollution abatement methods.

--Investing $128 million as the Federal share in pollution control and research, more than has ever been committed in a single year before.

--Organizing for action, through the designation of Air Quality Control Regions under the landmark Air Quality Act of 1967.

Fourth, I recommend that we bring a sense of fulfillment, outdoor recreation and serenity to all Americans by:

--Bringing new national parks closer to the people who live crowded city lives by development of the redwood groves of California, the Northern Cascades of Washington and the historic Potomac River.

--Adding thousands of new acres of unspoiled and primitive lands to the wilderness system.

--Completing action on the nationwide networks of scenic rivers and trails.

--Focusing now on the problem of noise and its impact on our daily lives.

Fifth, I recommend that we explore the peaceful promise of the ocean's depths by:

--Beginning to plan now with other nations to launch an International Decade of Ocean Exploration.

--Putting our most advanced marine technology to work in the development of improved buoys for better prediction of weather and ocean conditions.

WATER POLLUTION CONTROL

America's rivers, lakes and coastal waters have nourished her growth: irrigated the farms, powered the dynamos, and provided transport for commerce. But we have not used our waters well. Our major rivers are defiled by noxious debris. Pollutants from cities and industries kill the fish in our streams. Many waterways are covered with oil slicks and contain growths of algae that destroy productive life and make the water unfit for recreation. "Polluted Water--No Swimming" has become a familiar sign on too many beaches and rivers. A lake that has served many generations of men now can be destroyed by man in less than one generation.

Only recently have we begun to reverse this trend--to undertake a program to preserve waters that are still dean, and purify those that have become infested with pollution.

The conditions have worsened through decades of neglect and indifference. They affect entire industries. They involve thousands of miles of waterways and thousands of communities that border them.

We have discovered not only that the problems of pollution are formidable, but that their solutions must be interlocking.

--Water quality standards must be set for entire bodies of water, varying from place to place depending on the water's use.

--Standards must be enforceable and they must apply to both municipalities and industries.

--Waste treatment plants must be constructed and other methods developed to prevent pollutants from reaching the water.

--New methods of cooperation and enforcement must be established at all levels, for waters bearing poisons do not stop at city, county or State boundaries. Clearing one part of a stream is no answer. Water bodies must be cleaned in their entirety.

America took strong action to combat the problem in 1965 with the Water Quality Act, and took another major step a year later with the Clean Water Restoration Act. Under those measures, the long and difficult task of cleaning the waters of our land has begun.

Water Quality Standards

Now, for the first time in our history, all the States have taken inventory of their water resources, considered their future needs, and developed quality standards.

As the law requires, these standards, and the plans to carry them out, have been submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for approval.

Many of the plans have already been approved. This is welcome news for communities and businessmen alike. Now they can take action because they know the standards they must all meet.

I have asked the Secretary of the Interior to speed the review of the remaining standards and plans so the Federal Government can more effectively help the States and communities turn their blueprints into action.

The Construction of Treatment Plants

The heart of a water pollution control program is the community waste treatment plant which prevents refuse, debris and filth from reaching the waters. To meet the Nation's critical needs calls for both the construction of new plants and the improvement of existing facilities.

Through the Clean Water Restoration Act, the Federal Government can provide financial help--from 30 to 55 percent of the cost--for the construction of municipal waste treatment works. Already, under that Act and earlier authority, 8,000 grants, totalling more than $1 billion, have been made. They have helped local communities build more than $4.5 billion worth of plants, to control the pollution in 67,000 miles of water on which almost 66 million Americans depend.

More is required, however. The problem is pressing and the backlog of needed plants is great.

With accelerated Federal help, we can stimulate the construction of $1.5 billion to $2 billion in waste treatment plants under the $700 million authorization approved by the Congress for Fiscal 1969.

This will be done in two ways.

First, I recommend an appropriation of $225 million for grants under the Clean Water Restoration Act. This should generate about $500 to $600 million of plant construction.

Second, I recommend legislation to allow the Secretary of the Interior to make annual installment payments in addition to the lump sum grants as is presently the practice. This would permit the Federal Government to make construction commitments up to a total of $475 million in Fiscal 1969.

Under this new financing method, the $475 million would generate a total of about $1 to $1.4 billion of construction. Communities would be able to build many of their urgently-needed plants without delay and get them into the fight against pollution now. User Charges

Capital and operating costs of treatment plants are expensive, and it is right that those costs be borne by those who receive the plant's benefits. Accordingly, the new financing program will require, as one criterion for assistance, that municipalities impose a system of user charges on those who use the plants.

A system of user charges would not only provide an equitable way of sharing costs, but would accomplish other desirable purposes, as well. Such charges would:

--Provide an incentive for industries to curb pollution through improved manufacturing techniques.

--Relieve the pressure on the overloaded tax bases of local governments.

SAFE COMMUNITY WATER SUPPLIES

As America's cities grew and developed their own water supply systems, cholera and typhoid posed a grim threat to health and safety. That threat was countered long ago. Now, we in America drink tap water without a thought as to its safety. And yet-that water is not always as safe as it should be.

We do not have enough information on the long-term health effects of substances in drinking water.

New hazards--chemical and industrial wastes, and other materials--are creating new problems.

The Nation's Public Health Service cannot respond fully to this danger. Its authority is limited by a law passed almost half a century ago.

A recent study has indicated that about 30 percent of the Nation's public drinking water systems may fall below Federal standards.

To help the cities and communities of America assure citizens that the water they drink is safe, I propose the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1968.

This measure will strengthen the authority of the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to:

--Develop, adopt and enforce improved standards relating to chemical contaminants in drinking water.

--Conduct a comprehensive study of the safety of public drinking water supplies in the United States.

--Determine whether any additional steps are necessary in this area.

The new law will help move us toward this goal: That every glass of drinking water drawn from America's public water supply systems will meet proper health standards.

WATER MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

National Water Commission

We will not have served the water needs of Americans if we meet only the requirements of today's population. A prudent nation must look ahead and plan for tomorrow.

First, we must continue our sound programs of water management, research, and advance planning to solve supply problems and to prepare for the future needs of farms and factories, and growing city populations.

Second, we must establish a board to develop long-range policy for water resources.

Last year I asked the Congress to establish a National Water Commission to:

--Work with Federal, State and private agencies in a survey of our long-term water needs.

--Explore the effect of water development projects on regional growth.

--Identify alternative policies and programs to meet national and regional water resource objectives.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have passed legislation to establish this Commission. The measure is now in conference.

I urge the Congress to complete its action and authorize this much-needed Commission .<sup>1

1</sup>The Commission was established on September 26, 1968, by the National Water Commission Act public Law 90-515, 82 Stat. 868). The membership of the Commission was announced on October 9, 1968 (4 Weekly Comp. Pres. Docs., p. 1465).

Central Arizona Project

A vast area of the Western United States is arid. Thousands of acres are in danger of becoming a barren wasteland as underground sources of water are used up or depleted.

We have the techniques and know-how to overcome this problem.

Now legislation is required to authorize a program to bring water from the Colorado River to meet the urgent needs of the people of Arizona.

Proposals affecting the canyons and the gorges of this mighty and historic river have been the subject of searching national debate. Out of this discussion, a plan has evolved that will require no dams on the Colorado River, preserve its scenic values, and at the same time permit the immediate construction of essential water supply facilities.

I ask the Congress to authorize the Central Arizona Project this year.

OIL POLLUTION ABATEMENT

Last year, when the Torrey Canyon sank off the coast of Cornwall, the 30 million gallons of oil it was carrying spread destruction throughout the coastal waters, killing fish and birds, and then the refuse of this devastation swept onto the beaches.

Only this week, at home, tragedy struck again. The tanker Ocean Eagle broke in half at the mouth of San Juan Bay, spewing some 1 1/2 million gallons of oil over some of the finest beaches in the Western Hemisphere.

Major disasters rarely occur. But minor oil spills are frequent--and their combined effect, although less dramatic, can also be harmful.

Last year, I asked the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Transportation to study the problem of oil pollution in American waters. Their report warns us that we must protect the beaches, places of recreation, coastal and inland waters, and our fisheries from spillage not only of oil, but of other hazardous substances as well.

We need a comprehensive system to control oil pollution and to provide for prompt clean-up.

We also must be able to cope with the spillage of large quantities of such substances as chlorine.

Last year the Senate passed S. 2760 to deal with the problem of oil pollution.

I propose we build upon and strengthen that bill through the Oil Pollution and Hazardous Substances Control Act of 1968.

This act, together with the earlier Senate legislation, would:

--As a general rule, make the discharge of oil unlawful if it occurs from a shore facility or a ship operating within 12 miles from shore. The 3-mile territorial and 9-mile contiguous zones are thus both covered. This greatly expands the previous standard of liability, which was limited to "gross or willful negligence" and to the 3-mile limit.

--Impose upon the oil polluter responsibility for cleaning the beaches and waters.

--Empower the Federal Government to clean up oil spills whenever the owner or operator fails to act, but require the polluter to reimburse the Government for the clean-up costs. Prior law limited the owner's liability to the salvage value of the ship. The proposal will make them liable for the full costs of clean-up.

--Authorize the Government to establish regulations for shipboard and related marine operations to reduce the possibility of oil leakage at the source.

--Provide protection against large and dangerous discharges of pollutants other than oil by requiring those responsible to take whatever clean-up or other action the Government considers necessary. If the polluter fails to act, the Government will take the necessary steps, and hold the polluter liable for the costs.

AIR POLLUTION

"Metals corrode, fabrics weaken and fade, leather weakens and becomes brittle, rubber cracks and loses its elasticity, paint discolors, concrete and building stone discolor and erode, glass is etched and paper becomes brittle."

This is not a description of the effects of a new weapon.

It is a sobering report on the results of pollution in the air we breathe.

And that air is not divisible into convenient shares. Polluted air affects the lungs of all--rich and poor, manager and worker, farmer and urban dweller.

Of all the problems of conservation, none is more urgent than the polluted air which endangers the American people. We have been fortunate so far. But we have seen that when winds fail to blow, the concentrations of poisonous clouds over our cities can become perilous.

Air pollution is a threat to health, especially of older persons. It contributes significantly to the rising rates of chronic respiratory ailments.

It stains our cities and towns with ugliness, soiling and corroding whatever it touches. Its damage extends to our forests and farmlands as well.

The economic toll for our neglect amounts to billions of dollars each year.

The Clean Air Act of 1963 gave the Federal Government authority to help States and local communities plan effective programs to combat pollution.

In 1965, at my request, the Congress strengthened that Act by empowering the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to set standards controlling automobile exhaust pollution--a major and mobile source of air contaminants.

Last year we took a giant step with the Air Quality Act of 1967. That Act: --Will help our States abate pollution in the only practical way--on a regional basis. For air knows no man-made boundary.

--Gives the Government standby power to impose Federal standards or enforce State standards, if the States do not act.

--Gives the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare new power to stop serious cases of pollution that present a clear hazard to the public's health.

--Through accelerated research and testing, will help provide the technological answers to this baffling problem: How can we most economically and effectively prevent pollution at its source-in the fuels, while those fuels are being burned, or before the fumes reach the air?

To carry out our efforts to fight air pollution, I am seeking some $128 million for Fiscal 1969--more than we have committed in any past year.

I have directed the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to designate the Nation's principal Air Quality Control Regions within the next few months, and to publish Air Quality criteria and related information on control techniques. This information will give States, local governments and industry the cost and control data they need to carry out their responsibilities.

One day we will have clean air over America--but only if all-levels of Government and industry work closely and conscientiously. The legislation now on the books provides the framework for a partnership without precedent, matching the dimension of the need. The problem deeply affects us all, and all of us share the responsibility for solving it.

I am confident that those responsibilities will be carried out--and that we can return to the American people a fundamental right of their national heritage: the right to breathe clean air.

ASSISTANCE IN HARDSHIP CASES

We have looked carefully into the question whether water and air pollution control will have a serious economic impact on American industry.

According to recent studies, the cost should be small for most firms.

In some cases, however, pollution control costs may present undue financial hardships to both a business and a community. I have asked the Secretary of Commerce and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to give priority attention to providing assistance in these hardship situations.

AIR AND WATER POLLUTION FROM FEDERAL INSTALLATIONS

In the field of pollution, it is not enough for an enlightened Federal government to stimulate the work of the Sates, localities and private industry. It must also set a good example for the Nation.

Across America, federal installations are adopting the latest air and water pollution control methods. During the coming year, that effort will be intensified.

We expect to devote $53 million to the task, for thirteen separate federal agencies and 360 air and water pollution abatement projects.

NOISE CONTROL

What was once lyrically described as "the busy hum of traffic" has now turned into an unbearable din for many city dwellers.

The crescendo of noise--whether it comes from truck or jackhammer, siren or aero plane--is more than an irritating nuisance. It intrudes on privacy, shatters serenity and can inflict pain.

We dare not be complacent about this ever-mounting volume of noise. In the years ahead, it can bring even more discomfort-and worse--to the lives of people.

I am directing all departments of Government to take account of noise factors in choosing the location and design of buildings, highways and other facilities whose construction is assisted by Federal funds.

I also urge the Congress to take prompt action on legislation to strengthen the authority of the Secretary of Transportation to deal with aircraft noise. We need greater capacity to deal with the rapidly growing noise problem created by our expanding air transportation system.

SURFACE MINING

An air traveler over some of the richest country in America can look down upon deep scars gouging the earth, acres of ravaged soil stretching out on either side.

Advances in mining technology have allowed us to extract the earth's minerals economically and swiftly.

But too often these new techniques have been used unwisely and stripping machines have torn coal and other minerals from the surface of the land, leaving 2 million acres of this Nation sterile and destroyed. The unsightly scars of strip mining blight the beauty of entire areas, and erosion of the damaged land pours silt and acid into our streams.

Under present practices, only one-third of the land being mined is also being reclaimed. This start has been made by responsible individuals, by mining companies, and by the States that have already enacted laws to regulate surface mining.

America needs a nationwide system to assure that all lands disturbed by surface mining in the future will be reclaimed. This can best be achieved through cooperative efforts between the States and the Federal Government.

I propose the Surface Mining Reclamation Act of 1968. Under this Act: --Criteria will be established which the States will use in developing their own regulatory plans.

--The States, assisted by Federal grants, will develop their own plans within two years and submit them to the Secretary of the Interior for review and approval.

--The Secretary will impose Federal standards if the State plans are inadequate or if they are not submitted.

Surface mining also occurs on Federal lands. To enable Government to take the lead in this important conservation effort, I have directed that:

--Federal Agencies assure that their regulations require the reclamation of Federal lands leased for surface mining.

--From now on, Federal contracts for the purchase of coal and other surface-mined minerals contain effective reclamation clauses.

SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL

In 1965, I recommended and the Congress approved a national planning, research and development program to find ways to dispose of the annual discard of solid wastes--millions of tons of garbage and rubbish, old automobile hulks, abandoned refrigerators, slaughterhouse refuse. This waste--enough to fill the Panama Canal four times over--mars the landscapes in cities, suburbia and countryside alike. It breeds disease-carrying insects and rodents, and much of it finds its way into the air and water.

The problem is not only to learn how to get rid of these substances--but also how to convert waste economically into useful materials. Millions of dollars of useful byproducts may go up in smoke, or be buried under the earth.

Already scientists working under the 1965 Act have learned much about how soils absorb and assimilate wastes. States and local communities have drawn up their plans for solid waste disposal.

That Act expires in June, 1969.

To continue our efforts, l recommend a one-year extension of the Solid Waste Disposal Act.

In addition, I am directing the Director of the Office of Science and Technology working with the appropriate Cabinet officers to undertake a comprehensive review of current solid waste disposal technology. We want to find the solutions to two key problems:

--How to bring down the present high costs of solid waste disposal.

--How to improve and strengthen government-wide research and development in this field.

AGRICULTURAL WASTES

The new agricultural and land management techniques that increase the productivity of our farms have also brought new problems:

--Soil and other substances polluting our streams are the result of the erosion of farmlands and other areas. This cause of pollution has never been fully controlled and rapidly expanding suburban development has aggravated it.

--Added amounts of animal wastes are generated from the efficient concentration of cattle, hogs and sheep in feed lots.

We must not permit harmful effects on fish, other wildlife and on drinking water supplies of chemicals from fertilizer and pesticides--whatever their source.

Many of these problems can be dealt with through existing programs. But some will require new research and new approaches.

I am instructing the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a government-wide review of these problems.

THE SPLENDOR OF A CONTINENT

Before anything else, Americans had the splendor of a continent. Behind the facade of our cities, beyond the concrete ribbons that connect them, much of that splendor remains.

It is there because men of vision and foresight--men like Gifford Pinchot, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt--determined that the people's oldest legacy, the inheritance of a spacious land, must be preserved.

It is for each generation to carry on that work.

In our time, the task has become more difficult--but ever more urgent. Our numbers grow, our cities become more crowded, the pace of our lives quickens--but man's need to raise his spirits and expand his vision still endures.

A clear stream, a long horizon, a forest wilderness and open sky--these are man's most ancient possessions. In a modern society, they are his most priceless.

National Parks and Recreation Areas

In the past several years, we have authorized the addition of more than 2.2 million acres to the Nation's Park System.

We are actually preserving more lands-over 1.7 million acres in 1967--for conservation and the recreational enjoyment of America's families than the bulldozer and power shovel are taking over.

A park, however splendid, has little appeal to a family that cannot reach it.

The magnificent areas preserved in the early days of conservation were remote from the titles--and many Americans had to travel half a continent to visit them.

The new conservation is built on a new promise--to bring parks closer to the people. The man who works hard all week--the laborer, the shopkeeper, the subway rider-deserves a chance to escape the city's crush and congestion. He should have the opportunity to give his children a weekend of recreation and beauty and fresh air.

To provide this chance is the purpose of our program.

In the last several years, 32 of the 35 areas set aside by the new conservation--seashores, lakeshores, and parks--were located near large urban centers--North, West, East, and South. They are within easy driving distance of 120 million of our people. For example:

--The resident of New York City can within an hour or so reach the beaches and waters of the Fire Island National Seashore, established in 1965.

--A family living in the Washington, D.C. area has--since 1965--been able to enjoy the advantages and scenic wonders of Assateague Island National Seashore, only three hours away by car.

--Citizens of Chicago will soon be able to visit the conveniently located Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, whose development began last year.

--A father in Kentucky can take his son hunting and camping in the new "Land Between the Lakes" recreation area, which will serve millions of Americans in the Southeast.

--Boy Scout troops in the Southwest can explore and hike through the Guadalupe National Park in Texas.

--People in North Carolina will have easy access to the Cape Lookout National Seashore, now underway.

In 1967, almost 140 million visits were made to National Park areas. These visits are increasing steadily--a tribute to the quality and importance of our parks. It is also a signal that more parks are needed.

Paramount among our last-chance conservation opportunities is the creation of a Redwood National Park in Northern California to preserve the tallest, most ancient sentinels of nature on the American continent. A park in this region would benefit millions of Americans living on the West Coast who could reach the park within an afternoon's drive.

I urge the House to seize this opportunity and complete action on a Redwood bill this year.

I also recommend that the House complete action on two other major additions to the Park System that we sought and the Senate approved last year:

--North Cascades National Park in Washington State, the American Alps, an unsurpassed spectacle of mountain beauty in the great Northwest.

--Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, along Wisconsin's most scenic water areas.

We can achieve a new concept in conservation-greater than a park, more than the preservation of a river--by beginning this year to make the Potomac a living part of our national life.

That great river, coursing through Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, cradles much of our early history. Five million people live within 50 miles of its shores, and its legend beckons millions more from every part of the Nation. For the Potomac is truly the American River.

I urge the Congress to authorize the development of a uniquely historic area--the Potomac National River. Failure to act now will make us the shame of generations to come.

Scenic Trails, Rivers and Wilderness Areas

The urgent work of conservation leads us into three other areas.

A citizen should be able to leave his car behind and explore a scenic trail on foot, by bicycle or horse. He can do that if we establish a nationwide network of scenic trails, many near our large cities and through historic areas. Once again, I urge the Congress-as I did last year--to authorize a network of scenic trails.

"The time has come," I said in 1965, "to identify and preserve free-flowing stretches of our great scenic rivers before growth and development make the beauty of the unspoiled waterway a memory."

Let this be the session of Congress that grasps the opportunity.

Last year the Senate passed a bill to save seven wild rivers and five scenic rivers.

I urge the Congress to complete action this year on legislation which would establish a scenic rivers system.

One of the greatest delights for an American is to visit a primitive area of his land in its natural splendor.

In 1964, the Congress passed the Wilderness Act--a milestone in conservation policy. It permits the Government to set aside, at little cost to the taxpayer, some of the truly unspoiled areas of our continent.

Last year I asked the Congress to add the first four wilderness areas to the system: San Rafael in California, Mount Jefferson in Oregon, San Gabriel in California, and Washakie in Wyoming.

I urge the Congress to complete action on these wilderness areas.

I am today recommending the addition of seven new areas to the wilderness system, embracing more than 400,000 acres of mountain and forest and lake. These new wilderness areas are:

--Mt. Baldy in Arizona's Apache National Forest.

--The Desolation Wilderness in California's Eldorado National Forest.

--The Flat Tops, in Colorado's Routt and White River National Forests.

--Pine Mountain in Arizona's Prescott and Tonto National Forests.

--The Spanish Peaks, in Montana's Gallatin National Forest.

--The Ventana Wilderness in California's Los Padres National Forest.

--Sycamore Canyon in Arizona's Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests.

We are now surveying unspoiled and primitive areas in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, and Florida as further possible additions to the Wilderness system.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund.

The machinery to finance the acquisition of Federal recreation lands and to help the States plan, acquire and develop their own parks and forests is provided by the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

That Fund draws upon revenues from motorboat fuel taxes, Federal recreation area admission charges, and proceeds from the sale of surplus Federal lands.

For Fiscal 1969, I recommended new obligational authority of $130 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund--an increase of $11 million over 1968.

But this alone may not be enough. The need for more recreation acreage to serve our growing population--along with rising land costs--requires that the Land and Water Conservation Fund be enlarged.

The longer we wait to acquire land for recreational purposes, the more those lands will cost.

A suitable addition to those sources of revenues now authorized can be found in the receipts from our mineral leases in the Outer Continental Shelf. That Shelf belongs to the people, and it is only right that revenues from it be used for the people's benefit. I recommend that the Congress authorize the use of part of these revenues to augment the Land and Water Conservation Fund to raise it up to a level of $200 million a year for the next five years.

THE NATION'S HIGHWAYS

More than any other mark we make upon the land, the signature of mid-20th Century America is found in the more than 3 million miles of highways that cross and link a continent.

It is not enough that those highways be roads of utility. They must also be safe and pleasant to travel.

We have embarked on a major campaign to make them safe, in the Highway and Traffic Safety Acts of 1966.

In 1965--in the Highway Beautification Act--we set out to make them attractive. In partnership with the States, we determined to remove and control the eyesores that mar the landscape--auto graveyards, unsightly billboards, junk heaps.

Early last year I asked the Congress to extend that Act--which expired on June 30, 1967--for two additional years. The Senate passed a one-year extension. It is still awaiting House action. The Highway Beautification Act represents an important item of unfinished business before the Congress. I urge the Congress to complete action on the bill so that we can get on with the job of making America a more beautiful place to live.

Our highways must be in harmony with the communities and countrysides of which they are part. Too often in the past, this need has received little more than lip service.

A distinguished Citizens' Advisory Committee on Recreation and Natural Beauty, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Laurance Rockefeller, has reported: "Highways have effects that reach far beyond those who drive on them; yet our present devices for choosing locations are still based mostly on requirements of the highway user rather than the community at large."

Under the new authority in the Department of Transportation Act, we are moving now to assure that natural beauty and recreational factors are woven into the highway and freeway planning process, along with traditional engineering and cost considerations.

--The Secretary of Transportation is requiring States to give full consideration to the views of local groups--and private citizens in preparing their route selections for Federally-supported highways.

--The Secretaries of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and Agriculture will review exceptional cases which raise questions concerning a proposed highway route's impact on scenic and historic values.

Roadside Parks

A highway should not be an unending ribbon of concrete from point to point. American families traveling on their roads should be able to stop, to stretch their legs, to open a picnic lunch and relax before going on their way.

A park along the roadside--with landscaped grounds, an outdoor stove and tables, a path to explore--should be part of every travel experience. These way stations are not expensive. But they can add immeasurably to the comfort and enjoyment of a family on a trip.

I have directed the Secretary of Transportation to work with the Governors and Highway Commissioners of each State on a priority program to increase substantially the number and quality of rest and scenic areas along the Federal-aid Highway System.

VOLUNTEERS FOR CONSERVATION

All across America, men and women, boys and girls are making their cities and communities better places to live. In garden clubs and civic leagues, in Scout troops, 4-H clubs, and Junior Chambers of Commerce, they are planting and painting, cleaning and building, growing and repairing.

This is the army of conservation volunteers, and they number in the millions.

I propose this action program for volunteers to make America a place of beauty, enriching its communities and raising the spirits of their people, volunteers to:

--Increase local conservation efforts in every community, through the full participation of all citizens.

--Extend the National Paint-Up, Clean-Up, Fix-Up Week, now an annual event, to a seasonal event, four times a year.

--Encourage every city to beautify its approaches, through the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers native to the area.

--Impress upon every citizen the contribution he can make simply by observing the "No Litter" signs as he drives along the highway and walks along the street. Clean-up is costly. For example, it takes $2,000 of the taxpayers' money each year to keep each mile of highway leading into the Nation's capital free of refuse.

--Call upon the news media to encourage the conservation work of local groups. Television and radio stations, which are granted the public airways, have a special obligation to highlight these worthy public events.

The volunteer work for conservation deserves recognition and honor. It deserves help in mobilizing for greater efforts in the years ahead.

Accordingly, I am asking the President's Council on Recreation and Natural Beauty and the Secretary of the Interior in cooperation with the Governors and Mayors to join with private organizations in sponsoring a series of regional workshops to focus attention on those areas where greater private conservation efforts would be particularly productive.

THE OCEANS

The seas are the world's oldest frontiers. As Longfellow observed, they not only separate--but unite--mankind.

Even in the Age of Space, the sea remains our greatest mystery. But we know that in its sunless depths, a richness is still locked which holds vast promise for the improvement of men's lives--in all nations.

Those ocean roads, which so often have been the path of conquest, can now be turned to the search for enduring peace.

The task of exploring the ocean's depth for its potential wealth--food, minerals, resources--is as vast as the seas themselves. No one nation can undertake that task alone. As we have learned from prior ventures in ocean exploration, cooperation is the only answer.

l have instructed the Secretary of State to consult with other nations on the steps that could be taken to launch an historic and unprecedented adventure--an International Decade of Ocean Exploration for the 1970's.

Together the countries which border the seas can survey the ocean's resources, reaching where man has never probed before.

We hope that those nations will join in this exciting and important work.

Already our marine technology gives us the ability to use the ocean as a new and promising source of information on weather and climate. We can now build and moor electronic buoys in deep water. Unattended, these scientific outposts can transmit to shore data for accurate long-range forecasts.

The benefits will be incalculable--to farmers, to businessmen, to all travelers.

This year we can begin development of improved ocean buoys. I urge the Congress to approve my request for $5 million in the Fiscal 1969 Coast Guard budget for this program.

As we turn more and more of our attention to the exploration and the promise of the seas, America must train more ocean scientists and engineers.

In 1966, I signed the National Sea Grant College and Program Act. This new partnership between the Federal Government and the Nation's universities will prepare men and women for careers in the Marine Sciences.

I recommend that the Congress appropriate $6 million in Fiscal 1969 to advance this program.

THE CRISIS OF CHOICE

Three years ago, I said to the Congress: "... beauty must not be just a holiday treat, but a part of our daily life."

I return to that theme in this message, which concerns the air we breathe, the water we drink and use, the oceans that surround us, the land on which we live.

These are the elements of beauty. They are the forces that shape the lives of all of us-housewife and farmer, worker and executive, whatever our income and wherever we are. They are the substance of The New Conservation.

Today, the crisis of conservation is no longer quiet. Relentless and insistent, it has surged into a crisis of choice.

Man--who has lived so long in harmony with nature--is now struggling to preserve its bounty.

Man--who developed technology to serve him--is now racing to prevent its wastes from endangering his very existence.

Our environment can sustain our growth and nourish our future. Or it can overwhelm us. History will say that in the 1960's the Nation began to take action so long delayed.

But beginning is not enough. The America of the future will reflect not the wisdom with which we saw the problem, but the determination with which we saw it through.

If we fail now to complete the work so nobly begun, our children will have to pay more than the price of our inaction. They will have to bear the tragedy of our irresponsibility.

The new conservation is work not for some Americans--but for all Americans. All will share in its blessings--and all will suffer if the work is neglected. That work begins with the family. It extends to all civic and community groups. It involves city hall and State capitol. And finally it must engage the concern of the Federal Government.

I urge the Congress to give prompt and favorable consideration to the proposals in this Message.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON

The White House

March 8, 1968