Goals for Texas in the Coastal Zone and the Sea: Summary of a Conference
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Early in the year, Governor Preston Smith named a 20-man advisory committee to plan the state's first major marine resource conference, to be cosponsored by the Office of the Governor and the Texas A&M Sea Grant Program. He charged the Committee with the responsibility to plan and organize the program content of the conference, identify participants, and summarize its results. In his letter to the Committee, the Governor said, Recognizing the importance of wisely utilizing and conserving the resources of the ocean, I have announced my intention to make Texas the leading state in coastal and marine affairs. At the organizational meeting on April 27, 1970, the Governor named Dan S. Petty, Division of Planning Coordination, Office of the Governor, Chairman of the group. The goal of the conference, as outlined by the Committee, was to define Texas' interests, responsibilities, and problems in the coastal and marine resources field and to recommend goals and possible action programs. Working with the Texas A&M University Sea Grant Program, the Committee made plans for the two-day conference which was held in Houston September 10-11, 1970. The Committee sought to develop a conference which would bring together conservationists, industrialists, academicians, and representatives from all levels of government. The conference was appropriately named Goals for Texas in the Coastal Zone and the Sea. While the committee worked to plan a program which would serve as a common forum to exchange ideas and to recomment actions for improvement, a series of small, single-purpose workshops were being conducted by the Sea Grant Program with specific user groups. These workshops provided useful background data for the committee and the conference participants. In six workshops, more than 250 people were involved in formulating possible research needs and in assessing governmental mechanisms for coordinating and simplifying work in the coastal zone. Workshop summaries and study reports were combined in a comprehensive review of the state's marine community. Topics covered in the Texas Marine Resources series included marine-related industries, educational programs, recreation and tourism, law and administration, ports and waterways, fisheries and seafood processing, and an overview of coastal activities. The Advisory Committee met five times to plan the details of the Conference. Five broad topics were to form the nucleus of the meeting - coastal zone development; natural resources - fisheries; natural resources - minerals; science, engineering, education; and coastal zone management. Keynote speakers and panel discussion participants were chosen for each session. One plenary session and two luncheon sessions were organized with Governor Smith serving as the featured speaker for the first day's luncheon. A copy of the program and a list of participants are contained in the appendix to this report.