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Show activities, and operations of the Federal agencies in the several basins, under the guidance of inde- pendent chairmen appointed by the President and with the participation of State agencies in the planning process. 5. Congress should designate the Federal de- partments and independent agencies to partici- pate in the river basin commissions. Such par- ticipation should provide for representation of all agencies with functions included in water re- sources programs. Congress should assure all such agencies adequate authority to participate in comprehensive planning on an equal basis, together with appropriations consistent with such participation. Evaluation 6. Procedure for evaluation of proposed water resources developments should be revised to apply to multiple-purpose basin programs, and to proj- ects only as constituent parts of such programs. 7. To assure uniformity in the application of evaluation procedure, Congress should direct all Federal agencies to apply the same standards and methods to the evaluation of all river basin programs. 8. The orderly formulation of national water resources programs requires the establishment of a Federal Board of Review appointed by the President with the confirmation of the Senate. This Board should perform, among others, the functions of the review agencies recommended in the reports of the Hoover Commission. 9. The evaluation procedure should start with the measurement of direct benefits from and costs of programs, but should be supplemented with standard procedure for taking account of sec- ondary costs and benefits. Similarly, values should be assigned to public benefits and costs which affect the general welfare. This could be accomplished in accordance with a standard form of investment appraisal statement for each pro- gram or project within that program. 10. The investment appraisal statement should be in a form which would present the benefits and costs simply and clearly for the guidance of Congress and of interested citizen groups. 11. The investment appraisal statement should include a complete estimate of the costs to the American people, both direct and indirect, of undertaking any project. Direct costs should include the initial investment in preliminary in- vestigation, survey, and plan; construction; land acquisition; rights-of-way; utility replacement; and administration and overhead. Indirect costs comprise those resulting from displace- ment of population, loss of land and minerals, loss of wildlife, and loss of scenic or historic values. The indirect costs may be stated in non- monetary terms. 12. The investment appraisal statement should also include a complete estimate of primary and secondary benefits. Primary benefits should be evaluated in terms of a procedure which places a monetary value on those susceptible of such evaluation. Secondary benefits should be esti- mated by the interested agencies according to a uniform procedure jointly developed with the ap- proval of the Board of Review. They should reflect the increase in national income resulting from the program. 13. The evaluation procedure should also pro- vide that, where the sum of the benefits so esti- mated is not sufficient to balance the direct and indirect costs, the final decision by the basin commission on the merits of the project should include a judgment as to whether the balance of general welfare benefits and detriments con- tributes sufficient additional value to warrant construction of the project. 14. Congress should direct all Federal de- partments and agencies responsible for the devel- opment of water and land resources, in coopera- tion with interested States, to promptly review all existing plans and programs, and to cooperate in preparing coordinated plans for water resources development for the several river basins. Plans already authorized by Congress should remain undisturbed unless this review results in specific recommendations for change. 11 |
