REMARKS OF COMMISSIONER .. JOHN A. CARVER, . JR. , FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION, BEFORE THE PUBLIC LAJil) .Y,W ~EVIEW COMMISSION CONFERENCE, RENO, NEVADA, 'NOV:EMBER 17; 1910.

I am genuinely grateful ,for .~he opportun;i.ty .exte1l.4.ed by the organizers of conferences lilt·e. thiS. Otle 1;9 pa:rti,ci­pate in 'the cont:t·nuing dial:ogue concei-'f)'ing t;·ne fu:,tttre ·9f the Federal public lands.. Mo:re than :ti,ve Q:( 'the ,Jnost: ... satisfying. years of fl)y life .wer.e spe!!t .. in :y~t:imate. c;c>'1t~ct . with the day-to,..;day management issues· at1d the einel,.,glng · ·· policy confl.'icts that surround tbi:s. vas.t an'd Q.r':itica:l . national resource. · ·

l waer pre•sent, at le·ast throu~h (;)f,fic~Jll pro1'y:, w.p,e:tl . the Public Land Law Review Commission. came 'inJo beiJlg lil.Jia . participa:ted in the conduct of its invesligatiohs. throU,gh .. · membership 'o'h i·ts advisory eounci~:. · . I 'haye ~- c<>#ti"*h.ing · personwl and' o·:tficial interest in the·. public . eVal:IJ~t'iop ·· of its' r•epoz.t ; naore .than . that , the. p:rO'g:re'ss q;f ~:ti( ~.~ · .. · recommendations througb the legislative gristinil1'''will have a specia;I. intere~t for me,, . because I sha;:r~$1 fw}l,oJ.e:"' heartedly, the philosopJJy tba't. policy .1n this aretl wa:~ ~·· .. special. r.e~p'()nsi'b'ili ty of ttrti Congres$ 9 ' · • "· · ,,

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With this background i.n mi.nd ~ I :b:·ust ·that . yo\l· 1viJ1 indulge my engaging in a· brief.· effort at giying t.;h~. work' ·.• , of this ·eammission the· historic~l per~pecti.ye :wh.i~~ (I .. perceive. The modern effort to update an.d etrei;tmline our public .laqd laws bad its in(!e;ption in all el(chan~~}:!>j: .·. . .... correspondence· between the Chairman of the·IJouse ~nt~r:i9r Committee and the President of the United States i:i::i 1962 and 1963.

Con.gressman Wayne Aspinall, then a~ ~ow ,·Cb~irmaii. of . the House Committee on Interior and IJ1sula~ AffaXrs ,, . took : a characteristically direct apprqach iri.ta~sirig Witti tb.e Chief Executive some very centra.l issu$s. o.t E:x;~d~t'iV:~~ . · . Legislative responsibility. In lat~ :1:9·6.~ ~ }le·.·~nv:itecJ."a.nd. · urged his friend and. one-time House. 'Offi,qe ,:6,\lfld:ptg .ne;Xt- . door neiighbot", President Joht1 F. ·Kennedy, tqSubrili.t .b,i.s. views "as to legislation which would :permit ... th.~ Co11gress .. to fulfill i t.s constitutional resp·onsibtlity to make rules governin:g the us·e arid diSposition of Federal prop_erty arid at the same time not hamper tbe effective admin'is'tration

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of thai property in accordance W,i~h the ,t:i,'me h():oored conservation principle of effecting tne maximum good for the maximum number."

P:rasident Kennedy responded to. t.his fnvi ta t,iqn · persona'l.ly. He projected the d:j.s~.:us.si'on beiyQnd .;the is.sues reflected fn pending legislative propo!J!~f~· .;tfot.:ing :th.e increasiPg complexity of puqli<; l~nd managem~:nt ~nd the. limi tea amount of time t.ba t Co.ngress copl<i de:Vo.te .to the detai 1 of that $ubject m.a tter, he. oqserved .j;ha t "th.e public land laws constitute a voluminous, even forbiddi-ng, .'body of policy determinations within which the land management agencies must operate"; he described .;t.l;le u.pcoqrdinated ·and disjoipte'd con;flicting and incons;stent state pf t)Je statutory- ·:framework; and he conclu.dep by ~ay:i,_ng j;hat t.11.e system war.rant~d comprehepsive rey,isipn. l:J;e int~rpre.ted. . Chairman. As_p~nal~ 's invita t,ion as. ''ev:i,d~nce of subst,anti,a,l agreement that the St,apdard$ Of the J?aSt are pot adequate. to the challetl.ge o_f fbe present or future. " ...

This ~x9hal:lg¢ of views. occu_rred as the"88th Copgress was preparing to· ta.ke up j,. ts duties~ BE:! fore tl)a t. Congress adjourned, three major pieces of public land legislation had bee:p, enac.ted, thus purdling lln ;impasse that hf\<1 existed :rot several s~s'sions. 'two ot tbe~e laws were . interim in form, but the Class:i,:(icatiqn a~;~d Multip!eUse Act and th~ Priblic Sale Act.n!vertheless stated broad policies 'of conti.nuing validity. B(.)tb of.these were . approved tbe $ame'date as the statute creati:pg the.Public Land La~ Rev:i,ew Commission. ·

Viewed in retrospect, the observations of President Kennedy and Cnairman Aspinall in the early 1960's,were prophetic of what that decade was to. bring.. They com­municat~q in the classical terminology, qf CoJlservation . and resourc;e use.· . "Envi.:ronment" and "e.cology'' were t.h.en still +o.ckecl in the lexicon of scienti.fic specialization. But it 'is clear that the terms of referen.ce of tJ::le Aspina1l-:-Kennedy letters comprehend'ed the very: issues .that have brought us to the brink of national crisi.s., Th.e "decade ()f the ~~~:i.~~I;It". d.:i,d n,ot. ~f?P.r.i}lgc 1~,d.danl-y over the horizon in ~"1970 e~cept i.n the ~ertile :tm~gination of public relations. ·

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This review of some events ot th~ last. d~cacte.way seem ·overly simple wlien· WE! c.ontempla,te. t,he she,er. volum~ .. of the 'results of the long and earnest labors o! the . · · Public Land Law Review Commission.· We ha've .. ila'd ·in ;the ·• past six years the most ~eaiching assessmerlt' fh~ most, .. · fundamental public exposure· and d'iscussion ·ever concent;ra t.ed on a broad natural resource issue. M1.1ch of the best btlEmt of the c.ountry has been marshalle.d. to. make its contribu·t ion in: study, reports and cbnsul tative e:ff:~:rt. · ·'

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Thrbugb t:his process, the issues i.n :pupi:Lc: f~nd J?-O·;l,~cy ha:Ve 'been iden.tified,. de;fined., .cl.ari:f.ied,., a,n<;i ,inyen,t<),ri.e:d in comprehensive terms.· The surrounding ':facts· and con-di ti()niJ1g circums,ta11ces. b.a ve .. J;>e.en; e:gum.e:rat .. ~.d., . desc.r,ibedt, and aua·lyzed. aeasonaple altern;;t;ti\Tes· :tor. tpe,re~.olut-t~n of every policy issu.e h'ave been formulated• and .weighed,.·<'. pro and con. One might say, E)ven, tliat .. e'ven:if .·tile .. , · F' " ••

ultima't·~··report of :the Co~nmissio:n were t.o l>e;(f,i,SJ!ega:rde~,. the basic analytical backgrotin<i. structure e:('ist1s. ;fl;}j;- a .. de novo judgment on the merits by the public and the · Congress. . . , •·

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.. -~ben· Co11gressman Aspinall wrot¢. tq t>resi9~n;t .,J<:ennedy ~ h~ crammed many ideas into one s~fi.tei1c~. l;le ~nvi te<;l . Pres~deJ1t Kenn~cly t() submit b:i,.s y~~ws 11as ,.t9 .l~~g:i,sla,tj.on ~", It would nav:e beert possible (other a.dmin.istrg:tio.ns ,had taken tb.S "P~S:i,.tion consiste,Qtly)' ~or: a ,White li()use reJjly 1 :> to tell the Chairman t~at, in d11e c<;>ur:se,. any legis1a.tion deemed necessary. wduld be . transmitted' .. and in t'be me.a.n·#ime. we are managing nicely, thank you. Instead, the reply was Presidential and responsive, aJ:ld there foll()'Ye'q a, -; remarka:·ble and unprecedented pattern of ex:ec;ut:i:ve7 legislative' cooperation irl' devis:i,ng 'the pla:q. to. cr.~ate the Commission. · · ·· · ·

The ol'ganic act a'ccep'ted a ·pr:edi¢ate. ·o£ tJ:1e A,spinl:ll,l sentence' by recogniZing thfl,t it .is . Co:qgress' ,w.bi,ch 'Ql;lS a, consti t,utional' responsibility tp' rna~~ .rQles gqvern.l.ng the use and the <iisposi tiqn of federal .pr()perty 4 •

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;peyna:'t>s mos'f importatn or all',. M:r. A.sprri&-!1'~· Ietfer to the President i tseif accepted as a starting point "tb·e time honored conservation principle of effecting the maximum good for the maximum number." That, too, was reflected in the organic act for the Commission.

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By no means did. :President K:ennedy yield any exe.cuti ve prerogative· for the future' nbr apologize .for what' some might have characterize~ as enc~oacbment upon leg1slative prerogatives in the .past.. Two 'st~oilg al)d p.at.riotic statements' were the foundation for the Comm~ssion'~ creat.ion. ' . . .

t think it important that we. remember .the aame lessons as we begin the next phase. Competition as· fundamenta 1 as that between President and Congresa can l~ad to sterile impasS'es, or to prodigies of accomplJsbment. · MutuaL respect is the starting point if impasse is to be .avoided.

A s'econd lesson is that comple:xi ty n.eed not overwhelm us. Mr •. Aspiiutl'l a,nd President Kennedy could master· and, articulate the. funda~entals. In a real. sense, the Commission's final report document illustra~es the .same point. cTbe Commission refused to be f:righteneq by the awesome''hu1k of the data before it. · · ·

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Whether the public and the Congress will see the final report as a blue.tJrint.which must be.foll.o"'ed is doubtfuL'. W~ ~~~v~.only 1;o S.pe,nq a few'miJ:ll,ltes ~qtltem.plating the changes irt 'pU~li~ attitUdes since the Commi~sion was authorized· in September, 1964, to be remind~d that a. stop­action .Picture as of a given point 1n time has in.herent limitations. Still the basic arial.ytical work cannot be dismis'sed as obsolete or obsolescent by 'the passa:ge of timer alone. · · · · ·

When I was in the Interior Departmel:)t ,. I had o'ccasi,.on sometimes to delv~ into how pist administration~,. as long as a hundred years ago sometimes, had handled particular problems, and I was struck far more with the similarities than with the differences which tim,e bal-i brought, sp far as la!nd administration questions were' concerned •. However, whether or not the formal report is to be implemented .• per se, in whole or in part' the task of dealing with its subject matter must proceed promptly. It is unlikely that we shall have another opportunity for constructiv~ action on sue~ an informed basis in this generation or eve~.

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All our problems, not just thoSE! :<>:f. pu,blH~ 11\ri4 .. po,lh~Y; become more difficult a'ncl urgent Wi tb thEl passage of time. Individual cases have ·to' be d.ecide4, ~and "the·· decisions ta].{en wi thou1! regard fo fl1e u.ili t'~ry :fabr:(~:( o:f the COmprehensive. and inter~relat'e(l sfruCtUh~ QOW laj,d OQt

. before us, tend to harden and becomE!. l.nst.itutiopali'zeq · ·themselves. The promise of systematic' lef!;al.ana p,o11cy rei'orm will be forfeited, if we do·n'ot a'ct pr:·o'mptl.y~··

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If the PLLRC concept ha(ln 't been .fores.een in J964, it would have to be undertaken now·. At ·a tiinE! 'whetf wide .... segmen~t·s o:f . the ·public are begintdng t6 comprehebtl· .sonf~~-·' of. the resource and environmental P,robleips 'facin.t?;:. pu:t-· ·· · s,ociety) ·we ba.ve a vi tal head start •. ··. Th'e UDt\J;lSW'e'r¢d'.. . •question·;is whether ttte necessary' conviction 'to ·act 1s · p r e·S~lD;t • ·,·- , · ~ .. ·::-

: At; ·least as far as I have beeh able to sa~ppiEf and'.: . assess. it; public ·react'ion to the·· Cotnmiss'ion 's~ I'E),!>5?rt -~~.~·. been:;. a. disappointment. · In tbe · fil'st piac$ ~ l;ind despite . the br .. oad .interest oo:ing· (li$played. in 'r'e$our6e tria ''· ..... ·'. environmental iSs1,Jes, only narr'<)w segments ticf tlh~ :Pii'bl.ic '·· have giV8f1 .evideqce Of eXpOSUre t9 the C·ommisSiOn IS ,:work. And tbo.se wb.o have reacted have d"ne so 'p:ret'ty · mu¢1) ·in lin.e with predictable bias', and :in ohvious eontradicf:i.on~'

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On· the one hand., the so-called preservation.isfs see the :report as having one central point of ·empti'asi.·s' :': · ' commercial exploitation of public land values. As e~empLified by a New York Times editorial whi'cll··:a·ppeared wi1:hill ·l;H>"UJ:S after the report was released, the 'miners, . graz~:rs~ and timber harvestE;~rs were prcovided With ·a 'roadmap to the und~velop.ed resources on a. third .. C)f 'the Mati,·on''s acres. . According to that reading of the rep~ort ~· pubTi:C; lf;lnd. v~.;J .. ues .·are to be determined by·· the standards bf th'e market place rather than the environmental requ:irements o~ ~be;futur~. ~.

While. lacking the nati;onwide audien.ce of :the; New· York Ti~~s" .··thE! Qppqsi te end .of the spectrum· has also been ·· ~· heardo The Commission's l'ecommendations are criticized as anti-West, anti-progress, destructive of community development--anothel' step toward the lock-up of a national resource base.

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Quite obvi'ously, both:· ol 'tbe'~e. rea~tions cant t be right. · A balanQ~d study oiJ! tile eJ:lti·.r.e ~epo}'t will show that neither. ot tnt\lnt' ~e .. , 1'~~: c·~mQI:t~·s:~t~~.~~4!~ l;leted r~spori;sibly , ... r~~.l~eti.ng· .. ·~ .. ,m.,twr,:i,t•,J1:'pai~L··$~ .:~~~ly ne~ded in 'this decat;te at ·.sc~i~19in~ .•. '-~~(;)l~'te.s'~\ ;:.~i~t}l~r you ca 11 · it ~omp:rtom,ise. 9~ J?~ag~a.:11~.sm; · ·~.ll~ ~~<r:f'::.~.:t elli,.ect is .a reali,Sitic d.tag~.alllr fqr, 4~t.!!.ll~~~~~~ij~ftW~e.<;~W(~:~~s(,l\1~cefii :.under p:oote.ctive cbnditt(;lJ:l$ tp.,t .. 'w~.l..\ a..~~J":;t,ef.S9l!llt:t~al .calamity. In t.lle; cont~;xt .ot, ,m'y. t.;f~~nil'l;i t\,ncl~il·x.pe.lit·~eQpe' at .least., . i;his i$ the fJ.l.tH~ti~nt olf~ gpve.r~mE~"t •'· rin•~~d ,!1f· a:J.l.insti.t.utional · procesE:;es · i~ ·a· qelrioe.ficy'.. ,,. · ·· · · : · · · · · · · ·

J>~r\laps. 'tti~~:t,,qisil.l;9ing ·~,~,:~a;~~j;{~\()we~~~r~\ is <th'~t •great. middle,·. ground. Qt n·qp:,,;,;:tnvo~ve,d re:a~;tto:J:l ... whiC:li. ~dds ·up .to · compl.~c~nt P9.r~4pm':·~~~;·nt>t. ,oyn~o~·~~·:· ...• l4~o:h,.:·&Q,f .. tbe 'gen(:;!ral preS.$,, apti. eyep ,'t~ .. ~~ ~t~~d~>.A•Pd l!e~QUJ:;.Qe JOU;J;\,~l.. OQJJ!JIJentary, has ~re~~~<t tb~ ~~,I>q~t· incP·\tie~r; 'Y:~~·ul!l~t·~d,sero:r-;sta·~istical terms •.. ·. It · 1.$ suuuna:r:t.~ed.: ~~ a. $7··::au;i:J.,ll,()ll. contrJ.but,l:on.;to . the a~cbives, all.. ·eompend·ium.·'pf 187 :tleta,i~.ed· :r;o~commerida,tions plus,. n'l}met(>u$ t~pr.e.ee,ioijs· Qi;':p~op;ps:~:~·p~,l,:t~r. :and •. subsidiary <l9!Jl~e~t •. · .. At an ~v~~nu,~i'.i$ ·;ohfu•,t,:tat>.t~f;).~y~;r;;• :·'this ,e:va:tuatlon loo~s, uppn the ;rf;)~]Jlt :~A$ a».oth~J;'. ~.~pe·;Qt;,;.of the something for· e.ver~roue $.y~d~tl~e,1i )vl:t;)lt::~ll;~,~·-l.~~~~,~~tt<ln,i.t:bat such· an. a~~;r;?a~h can g~.~.;Q .~~· JIJ8~~~~~~·. · ·' •.J ' '\ · . ' '

;. +yc·~~:;. ,'~··',-·,-"'~.""·'il;-~~-:;,,..;~:r\,,~,·- ' ,;;--'iJ,<t "'">''·"'"·"

... ftt . ts tbe· te~d";qcy ,ot ttl'Ja.~l(:iwr;:'l'ar·it:tca.•.b •vbat .·.capse$ par~icular .oonc.ei-n .• ·i,lQ~ .i.tlJf§!tl~cJtS; ·~f! l<aeJ,t·,·.~t:;·~ppreoi.ati;on for some of the veJ:>y ':fuJ1~amebt~/l, pOlicy ;recommendations · contai~ed · :J.n the repo~t~ ... · Just ·a )lan<lo~:s~p •. ltltg':of! $ few key points .:l,a · ,n()l!lgh,c··t:~•·i~~Qestil"a te . th'i.$..~ .,,;,f£~~ : '>· · · · · ·

" ' ,'·. -.~<" ·-:·(_;';~ ·:: -~., ·',/'' t:::. ··.: ,,~:;\~.;:·~(~:

l. •. Fol(eltl~st in .'tlu•·x·~•sp,et i$ ~h.e~·coiear break w1tb the J:;lis~.o;ric p<i>licY Qf · ~U.,Jijposa~ ·a$· ·the Jgu·icringprinci~le· ot, I"ul:>lic, lai.nd management~· . .1\ p»(>p~sal tc::;r;:aqop"t. retention· as· "Gllfit, b~sic pr11ctiee ·wit:h .,selec'tive':disp.Qsa.~'· to ·be· govexoned'by PU·blic inter~(llt.~r~~te;ria·r~pres~t,tts ·a. major policy decision ·that ··de~JJ~:n~s.more' t~an a" ~:o""'hu.~. reaction•

2 •. · The emphasis' •. thr.~t.ghout th·~ •.repo:rt ·o{.l:'~easaertion of Congress' cQnst.i tu:tional resportsibiliti,es '•and, the need t·o:v. more explicit. polt·~y g;ui~~~:Ja:l,$'$ meaps' tl1at publ~¢ lancl:· decision$ w:tll ~etu.rn to e·e:pt$ir sta~e i;n national: .af'fa,irs.

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3. Recommended. repeal o;f l:i!U~fl lo•Dg<:Standimrg wre:- . emption statutes as. The Homesteaa· and Desert · Lari.d. !c.ts portends a greater empn .. asis on .. J?ublic' cont.r·ol aht:tpos,~tiv·e tnanagetnen•t of a national resou.rc~; ·

I would: be less tha.n candJ.d' i:f I ··did· no·t .. c.onliess tJ;a .. au I, too, ba~e ~een a little neg:ative and eyrlic~.L .,'lU\ld!s: is .• my first P\lbl ic , comment . O•l'I·. tl;Ie . r'ep:~.r·t , .. anc$ in the .. c.:fi.s,:c:j;p:li~e of PJi'eparing fo;:rr tl1~is appe·a:ra:q,qe, 1 n,ave. anal.y~ed:my ·. 0~. reactions, arid COfiC'l"Qd:ed that :it. :j,s not; tlie. rep(i)Ft t1 }!>ud£: the follow-up of tlte rep.ort, . Wl1dcl:i eli.cits my n.egati:vdlsm·. tn• this. se]1;f-analy:sis 1• :L l\l.av:e ~onc~1;1d:eq t:nat I. a:;m; lltif'rm:~.~e overly...:Do'stalJ?;iC' a.l!Jo.~t .tlite lev:e·]_ df e~ecu.t:t1iie7~Ea-g±sl¢.t·!~(~ cooperatio:ti ach::iie·ve~ ~ua?in·g. mw t:en'q:ie i.Ft.ln•te~io.:F·r··.wl.\~;1( .: this g~•t wo;vk b~g.at:l't., ~·t · s~a~ms · t0. me,, tJn:roug!il.: IJbY rm:s~ H retrt1sp~ t'ac:,; es ,: "'' tl)lart a 1t l:};g,tJ.!I. el!i~s: . a.f Jl>'EHl~Y l.yucilli . i · ..

Aven1a1e tlle . polr:tcy 01;f:friJ4~'~J.s;--C.€l~gr~ssQ1e:tL &lill<f S:~:n,a.t.<iJ,r$,, . znidt P·reside·ntial a·))l·fl;O•int.e.es;--1Ute•r·e was app::ti~a;.t:J;:Q;n ,.4 . ~es:m~·~·1t: . , for facts, willim:gD•ess to· maik:El! hllurd cho.ic:es, an<W a se·n~e o·f re.SJ'l~ns:i~ility :fo,w· wu;b]i~e: Jhltni<li; st.ewar·<:ls~i;p q:f~,~ ver~ . · hig:fu Qrd:~J:'\ . In a wa;~ n'0t. El~pe~r:i.len,ced S.in~e, w~ ·b~a,:d! .:t:Q~fu;~,ed tl::le• f'qea' tl:fat users, t€1'0, ¢'0);U:lcl.' .1/le COQ.~~rv:ati.ori'.isis: .. · , . , .·

', .i r'' ' · · '· " · ,. · · · '' ·· ' • · ' ." ¥, - V. · ' ' ~ ~

Fle•marliably, the Cgmm'ission"·e .·.,,b';:r:E'icfal fani.fl~,.,: gene·~mlly re·tainedr. t~.at s•pirit tla,ro.u;g,tlo!l<t itcS life •. · B\l;t. ~t:;;;.:icQ!e ~~:is isl.atrd1 ,e1't e:a, lm ~nd ·r·ea;s;@~h· ~~e J))t&:f!l!tJta 1 . ,re~o:aic~ ln~~f§:e'II!e'i;f.~ worlel w~s pol;acri.zi.n)g. MY' ey;m.i.e:tspr J:s ~ .P,~~~<h ·~ my;· d·isap·pndintm.e,n·t tlt\at .. t.:m,e: f. i;.n,al! lt'e.:P'til'J!;t ,o:f . tll~. -~J;)mm:ts~Jtp:li c·an•ri'o1r be t·a . .keua• tttilll•· lbry· a· (CO!l\l,gre,ss: .al1f:d! · e~eeu1tiv~e.. b.ar;;tn,f.!i!l.. a_, .. bighlY' m~t~~a te~~ a.s: in 19,6~: 3:n:<d lf9\ti~, :wbe,n ;tltlfi CQ~nm·i~:il~~ was exe·a 'tre'd\.

Tl1l:ta pu}\'l,lii~ impact odf tne Ce:mu:~d:setol\1,' s eo.if.lt .. F:ib'utifil;~ .i.s; yet 1f(),' be f~]t '· :r'e'9i:lly.. . :le~.c'ftfo,n Oi\!l;:t'si$cl;e a 'fa.i;F;lYr . . . e iFe'ttmseiibeicil' Sjlltd:tenee .. oif p)\i];,J!i]Lt~ l~nq . law. s.:tu;dlemits:, ·• p;rtac! t':t;t't Olne•Ys a;,u.cd\ u:se~· · inlte.t-·e:{BtS: l::J,3s tf!)n cl·~<t 1i d 1'>~. Slll'Etea:;:- . fieial' .ai'l'cll urnlatJP!l,FeC'tat:i.ve of 1fl!Je f'!J,l)l r·tla.eh•, o~ .t~,e· pr~C!W~~:&Jl.s. a·drva:.n•c·ed!.. P'erl!larps itl!JdfS· m~1lD:ns t:ba;( tl:ro~'e. who gJ~tlbkr :ii.nl' ·. ' eon:fer~u:~~~s' '] :iHt::e· t:l'l>is;. mtlllte· ta\lll: .. a: . sm.l.l~r· . ~·:r1'J·t~±nJi ty , . t:1'1an1 w,e; l::lat!lf tb;ourgll•t •.. · J!'!e::li'·ll'mp;s aliso, p~l!J~ jje :il:rr'te.:ir~~t w.l£'11 .. slll1~em; as :imd:ivi<i£1lliiltil C~$:siam, l!"ee·@mtntel!l'lif:ta tio•ms: are ty:a.n!Sllat~e4 im,ito sl;)e·ei:tr:!c legis;lative· pr·C!)ff<)s:alrs~ · '· · ··. · ·

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Thi~ can be as much a danger as~ virtu~: Polarization and £Onfrontation avail us little in· the for,ulJtion of public policy decisiotis if Sides ~re chosen.dn the basis of slogans and cliches, rather than informed judgment. · And it is clear that much of the discussion to dat~ bas been'i~ss tbari well. informed. This d~monstrates the. wisdom.of the Commission in committing'the.waning da,ys of its statutory life to a program O! discussion an<:t education.~ This prc>cess must reach o-ut ... It ts appropriate. that it iS launched under Commi~sion au~pices. ·

Tb~ program prepared for thie; conferen¢e reflect,~.~ structured·effort to expose and exallline the major subject matter is~ues contained in the Commission r~port, · For tbat reason, I· have not regarded it to be . riiy ftrn'Ction, in -{;his limited time ·and at this. hour in a long 41\Y, toduplicate any part o'f those substantive discussions;, however gteat the temptation might be. · · · · ·

Yet I cannot resist a little discussion that b~ars on the con'tent ·o::f t·he reporto l will turn first to one. matter that concerns me seriously, not because Of wha't the report sa:y;s bu~ becauS~e of .J ts s.ilence.

~Th~ Comm,ission has focused its' ·entire attention on the p·o:l1cy · iss-u~s in public' la.nd man,ag~ment. No one can argue with this direction in emphasis and its statutory mandate clelirly·J.ntended that such should be the case. The public ·would be criticial, indeed, 'o::f ;an effort of this scope that magnified :form over substande or looked qnly at the operation of existing law.

At the same time, however, ana as the report observes at several points, one of the major .~eficien~i~s of. current public land law is the almost complete absence. of organiza·­tion,,cohesiveness and rationality •. R~lated .or depeqd~nt proV'isiohs are s;pread through several titles qf the U. s. Code. The main vehicle in t~is regard, Title 43, has :t;1ot been co~if1ed and reenacted as positive law. Consequently, it coristi t"Utes a melange of the. rnisce,llaneous and the · milestone markers going back. to .the earlies.t' days of the republic. Duplication and contradiction have· not been reconciled. The obsolete and the most recent statutes convey the same emphasis.

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This condition bas long been recognized, and I was hopeful and fully ,ant~ci,pated that c()~if:ic~~:ioq would be .. one of the initial Qy-p:roducts .of the .rev:i$w proces.s.

<' ' • : • '' • •'' L' ' • • <

This question is. not merely a ma ttei' .. q! ed:i tot.:i:H 1

nicety or organizational form. As the history of statutory codification ~1;\S demcms.t:ra ted over ~be. l?~~t . s.~veral, ~ear~, it offer~ a .)Systematic. methodology :fo.r ·the d:i,scoyery · qf, ,. the obsolete. and the conflicting and f.o:v l,dentify:iug ga,ps in t~ sche~e,. of stattJtory policy •. ' it provfd~s ari ·o:rtler1y framework: for the .. a:rticulat:ion of legislat:t've . int~~t'. . . with minimal, opport\ilnity for ambigui,ty .or tnisinterpretati.on.

,. ' ' ., !, ' '; .' , \• '· J' ,, •, '

It \~ nqt tqo late to .fill this ,'gap :i\l t,:pe. SJt~tJtiture · of the Com~iss:ion."s report. 'Sve.n as 'the Congress '·and tile , Executive Branch turn to and ponder 'the policy recommenda­tions ... of th.e Commission, I w,ould u;r:ge most strpn~ly tha~ the mo~t ·~~ow.leqg~able tecbni.cians .of pUbli¥ )an~,' ):aw "tie. Pllt tq .w0:r~ on th~. ra~ionaliza tion of .e~j,~rt:iiW ~a:w .:.l;lltq.~ . a con~~·~teri~ format... This w,ill ~1ot only .a:id. :in tile .• :.: . ·· proces~ ,Q£ 'gev.el..opi!lg new s~bstantive ,;policy, but wi~l: .. ''· prov.,ide a -s.tr~~mlin,~d~ comprehensive an:d c~onsi~terrt veh~C,~e for 'the ~;xpression of that· policy. · · ·· ·· ··

,,,~· ,.,,~> , A > < " , o, i '1' ~ : ' -i ~ • ) '·>; > " ,; ' "

Q~ •. so~e,.\Vb.a t the. ~ame !lote , . but .not e~a;C,'tly , .. tb_e Commi.ss~o:ri ,m;ad;e n() c()ncert~d effort to corre,Qt s.ome)?~ ... the inconsistencies and conflicts which were identifie:d

' as having .i.mp.act on the policy of public land managenie:nt; As a case, in p()j.,nt, , Pl1bl.ic ).ands )lUl.Y bEl wi. t~d:tiaw:n or, .. . . segregated for water power .and ,related pu:~poses j.1irid~r at least four separate statutory auth~rj,ti}~s. . .:.-,-tne. ,lfed~r.1;l-l,, . Power Act, th·e P.ic.ke:t;t Act,, tne q:v~ariic .au.th9:rity, 9f th~ .... Geologi.cal Survey, and the Reclamation ~ct. .E:a.Q.h l;l~s it:s own conditions, ·prerequisites and criteria. · 1\t lea$t .a.t. · the stage of project inception and development' each is ... administered by a different functi 0nal inter-est or. entity .. of the govern~e.nt. As. ,a. result, 'mil,liO!lS,· .?,r .a~r$$_·. l;l,aV:e •, •··. bee~ .. r.ese:vved for essentially the same purpo~~s, ·.but :ll,nder a variety'of legal designations. Th.e process of r:evo*ation or rescission is likewise dissimilar for 'each c.ateg0'r'y. ·

This ex'ampl~. Sl.lggests. that' in' add,ition 'tc) ,co,<lt·:fidatioQ of existing. ,t~w: tbere ·is a. fu:Ji'tlJe:J;' i:u~e.q tO' ·ci)nso~idate . · ., and moderni2!.e prQ.eedures wbi¢h · de:v.ele>ped at various .tfm~s

'. • '< '•' ' :' • ;;.'"

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and to ~~et part~ctilar needs. Tbis is mor~ tha6 ~edifica­tion; it involves changes in substantive law wnich may' prove as controversial.as some of the basic policy directions refl~ct;ed .iQ the report. · · · · ·

A relat~d criticism a~ises from t~e d~~~is•ion's commendable spirit of cmfii ty and restraint. qy <ie:ferring to th~ :~at;ional Water Commission and the '\Vater Resqu.rces Council on water resource issues. That need not and should not be .· tbe case here. Lan<l ·use forpower · stl,'uctur~s ·and. im~Otirldment Teservoirs·must tie judged in the context of other .comp~ting uses in an era of a shriQk1ng land basea As suqh, .it 'is a ptJblic 1and issue to be resolved in the conte~{t' .. q~ the SttJdY with which we are no~ conqerned.

Tije_' PL~RC devoted l. ts time and talent ···to the e'conomic, ecologfHal arid social policy issues of our day. This i~ · · a wholly · corl'ect .assessment o:f :g:riori ties~ · Sut my .l'emarks of the past 1ew~inutes are advan~ed in behalf ·of another inte:r;ested pa;rty: the journeyman worker ih t:he practice • of pub'l.ic law is equa:11y deserviQg of :a .m~?d.ern set 'of· tools.

My fina.l; commen.ts relate .to an a~ea wh ic·t'i in.terests< me more than the Report's substantive policy discussions-'­its treatment of .administrative procedure's and adjudicative·. practices.' ' ·· · · · · ·

Not that substantive issues ·are not involved. lri truth, it liii'gbt be said .that the most serious triisreading of the Repo:rt. is the preservationist or envir6nmentali:st failurE!! to. see the full significance of the ope'ning of the deoision 7 ma1Ung and adjudicative procedures to the'ir full particip.a tion.

Those who worked wi tJ::{ him have told ·me that Ch.ief Justi,9e 'warren frequently had a question :for lawyers argt.J.ing before him at>out the workings of rules, regulation,s, and ··proc~dures-:-"Is it fair?"

... Perhaps. l hoped for. too much when I looked fo~ a refleCtion of the spirit; of that question i.n the Report and dic:l. not find it. The C01n~iss:i,ori. adopte'd faithfully the m.itline and analysis presented by the background contract study. Conducted under the direction of

(

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Professor 9arl McFarlan~, .un<;toubted, .dean ·of the ·aalnini, · strative ·1aw IS·Pecia:J,:ty and pr:l.ncipal, ar,chiteet. of the Administrative Proeed1,;p:•e Act of. 1946; th;:tt study d"v/elt · in careful detail on. the usual,. qUe~StionS, O·f intere·st' to academic researchers: rulema.king, notice ana he~ririg, separa, tigo of. funct:i:qns, appellate procequres an<i jud~c~~l reviE:!W. · · · · · · · · · · · .· · '· · · ·· · ·

''l'ne i-e~~lting' cl'lapter in tile' lin,al h~port ·is equa.lly proper iil,i'ts advoe~cy of due praces~ an<l e9uital:ile; ~(}n.:.: sidera ~Jqn, ·avoi.di~i'u,:iee of delay, ine·reased a~e of · . . · rulemakfng and. clea,:-t: St.JtndardS for ·. Judlcial revi~W. of departmental· de'eisions. It is difficult to'~e~plaila . .. precisely why these laudable objec:tives m.iss•''t~~e mail& in getting ... at. :the heart of tbis questiOih To indulge .. im. : . . oversiD¥pli!icat.i.ou, Ithirik t!'i.at o•either {he Comm~.ssff:)n~: nor it§ ·G<;J·tttra.c.t resea'i·eaer. ever really fullY.,fitPP>i;ec:f~te~ or goi( · tffor()"g;gh ly imme~ed in> the . spirit crtif ~t:.mospheri' .: ... · that . ~F\ll"~~u»fl:~ · t~e .dce,cisiQ'n-m~king p-roe~~s 11\t )!l:e 'a<ttmiW:i,f .• stratfve ·teve19 ··.· Amd· 1 suspect tba.t .only on'e v,tbo bas· · · .· • labored i~ tl\at v~neya:f~ cam :tully, co;mprellel}G{ 'wfl•~.f'Ei;i~~~qs, me on the poi I.}~~· lt · is som.et:bing 'that. is fe{t, .. ia .• ~h.e;*, :r ·

than art·i<hila.te·d'; it. its vis:cerat · rath~r. t&au !'inte'lteitual.' ,, ~ ' - :~- ,_ ' ., - ~ ' . ~. ; . . ' '

What I am driv~ng a-t is tbe fait'9,t~. to co~mpf:e·b~l!lTd ~~~~ . deal wi tb ,·the' ab!s,ence trif ~om:tide;Jice, ·:as 1 hav:e ci'f:l·se;r·ved :t't, on the part o:f .. 'tbe o~dinary p~t~ize·n:, t.~at J~e ~1\'lJ co\1\n.'ft' .Qfl\ .: ··• :fair t:f.Ejl•atmeni; w.JJ·e;n: dealin;g with liJ(is go,ve.'J:J\lme-nt.. Qn,. ~uhiJC~ land m~tters.. I do not mean that ··la:no: a.dm'iriistrafa!"s ·~ . ·· ·' ·· deliberately de<lude tbo•se on the other side o't tfi'e eol\ll~t~f · · or consciously i.rtd~.l'~ ~n the. p.:Faptice pf 1,bad .. fait!J···" 'Fh;Ef phenom,n.o,n •.. iS, lttUiCh · mo!Jr·~ e,:u,btle. '· 'lt .~etive.~ flt.om t~e .~~::tet .·· that govEflt'B,(ment im tJti~ f~eld ot act':Lvity ·d'qefi? .. not hql~ ··.' . i tsel:f to ·'the same sitaadards. of 'con'dt~;et· ,tin at 'wc>uld bind .. private ·p~trtie$ ~IJ,.der s~imilar. circuois"1a'nces., .. · :(t · r,e:S;4rt.f;!.: . to a varie.t)t .. o:f def,enaes azid otner l\leyi~~s to d.e{~at 't.:tir:~: · · · legitimate e·ff'orts of private citizen~S. to sf?:cusre ''benefits authorized by statute ..

:tt' isrl'"~· nece~s:ary to' des~ribe. iih:e:$e qefensive mechanisms 1ni detai) ;: you willl :teeogni·ze tl:i6m l;>y ; sumqlary reference. Mere p·endency o:f a elairtt,. nd matter how· .. diligently perfeeted, c.reates no vested right. E:xtra• · statutory te.sts of discovery have been emgrated on the mineral laws. Unyield.ing delineation between privileges

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and rights in licensed occupancy may defeat a tenancy without. recompense. Sovereign i.mmuni ty p:rov~cJ.es an all-inclusive shield against legal remedies, pa,rti¢ular::Ly when coupled w:i, th strict and. unreal:istic d()ctrines .about the authority ~f· agents to b~nd the gov~rnment when acting in the appareut scope of authority. · · ·

Proper protection of the publid irtte~est urtdoribtedlf requires that many of the historic attributes of sovereignty remain avail.al;>le to the government. But their. ind,iscrimi.­na te use pla,qes tbe citizen cla;i..mant in consta:pt jeopardy; he concl~deS that a trap may be sprung ~t arty stage of his transaction--add this is not good government~ • The~e must be a firmer foundation of confideride ~nd certainty in the adjudicative process. ·

To retyrn to the note on which.I startedr Presid~nt Kenne<Jx. aqv~rted to the. so\.lrce of this phenomenon 'in. ·his letter~·•t6 Ch.airman Aspinall. ln referring to the 9omplex and often vague pattern of the public land lawE;, he ,, conceded 'th'a.t administrators had tended to make decisions in t.~e. p1Jb!ic interest as they saw it, even w,hen this mea:iH the ciE:lvelopment of standard.s or decis:l,onat rules which ~'',!!!t!y ,tiaye .seemed to . C>.U.td~stanc~ .expre~s SJa.tut()ry policy~''-~In short, an inadequate or obsolete body of statutory policy, standards and criteria leaves the ul tima't'E;l d'ire¢tion of public land management. to tho$.e · who niu.st. apply the law. They· have been resourceful in constructing a body of regulati,an and case law which offers ma":tmum protection for the public interest as the admin:l5strator.s see that interest.

I 1n .the early 1960's, when pu'blic iand questions were atithorized to be brought in the fede~al court where the land was situated, rather than in the .District of Columbia .wnere. the SecrE!tary of thE! Interior officia.lly resided, I 'detected an improvement .. in the qtiali ty of land administration, by reason of a subtle resto~ation of public ~onfidence.

Perhaps what is needed is not a further or different study of administrative proc~dur~s, bu~ a study of how the different publi,cs react to that administration.

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When I was engaged in land administration, I suffered with having to issue decisions which though "legal", weren't "fair"--particularly when I could see that the absence of fairness would lead to future detriment in land administration outwei,gbing by far the advantage the sovereign gained in the particular case.

Once when I was pursuing what seemed to be a justified citizen gripe when I was Assistant Secretary of the Interior, I demanded to know from the particular official why he hadn't "used his bead." His response was that such a requirement wasn't in the regulations.·

Should I close my discussion today with suggesting that as the Congress takes up the next phase of the monumental task it set itself by creating the Public Land Law Revie~ CommissionJ it might find some niche in the overhaul, updating, and definitive expression of legisla­tive policy to speci'fy that officials "use their heads"?