EDITORIAL Air, water, land-elements of beauty that shape our lives

President Johnson proposes broadened program for solving the no longer quiet crisis of conservation

1 his month President Johnson spelled out for Congress how he feels the legislature should go about implementing the expanded environmental pro- gram that he outlined at the end of January in his bud- get request for fiscal 1969 (see page 172). Specifically, the President has asked that federal expenditures for conservation in the coming fiscal year be raised to $1.2 billion, compared with $565 million to be spent in the current fiscal year.

In his January budget message, President Johnson had requested selective increases in several programs designed to enhance the quality of our en- vironment, such -requests including special funds to bolster the nation’s fight against air and water pollution and solid waste problems. Some of these requests offer interesting examples of how less can mean more. For example, the National Center for Air Pollution Control was required to reduce the budget for its controllable programs by $1.9 million. However, the Air Quality Act of 1967 established a program that even within the cur- rent fiscal year has led to an NCAPC request for a sup- plemental appropriation of $16 million. And for fiscal 1969, NCAPC is seeking an increase of $26.5 million, bringing its total 1969 fiscal year requests for its air pollution program to $107 million. Also, the NCAPC budget for research dollars will more than double if plans for fiscal 1969 are carried through.

In his special message to Congress this month, President Johnson also spelled out what he considers to be the urgent conservation needs for the country (see page 168). Wide-ranging, the message discussed conservation needs in air, water, land, and oceans--“the elements of beauty.”

Among the many features of the Presi- dent’s message, two stand out: A proposal that Con- gress permit federal aid in the form of annual install- ments rather than lump sum grants. * A proposal that new financing be restricted to only those cities that have a system of user charges.

Under these proposed financing programs, $500 million granted to cities for construction would generate, in turn, $2 to $3 billion of construction. Thus, the President argues, communities would get their urgently needed plants quickly and the fight against pollution could proceed in earnest.

What may be one of the most con- troversial aspects of the President’s proposal is the suggestion that municipalities impose a system of user charges on those who benefit from the existence of the new treatment plants. Through adoption of the user- charge system, the President says, industry would be encouraged by incentive to curb pollution through im- proved manufacturing techniques. But at the same time these industrial efforts would relieve pressure on an overloaded local government tax base.

The President’s message is a compre- hensive one. It brings together and considers all the major aspects of our environment. It deals with how we must act in regard to these aspects of our environment and how we must coordinate our efforts if we are to preserve the natural heritage of the American people.

It may be quite true that technology use- ful in correcting an environmental problem in one sector cannot be transferred easily-or transferred at all, in some instances-to another. It is equally true that clean- ing up an environmental problem in one sector can easily create a problem in another. Therefore, the en- vironment must be considered as a whole, and ap- proached as an integrated unit.

The President, aware of the need to im- prove the environment in all its major aspects notes: “TO succeed in meeting their [environmental dangers] challenge requires a wide-ranging response, with spe- cial emphasis on the items of highest priority.”

Man can be the master of his environment. As master he has the responsibility of power and the obligation of the present to protect and improve for future generations.

Val- 2. Number 3, March 1%8