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Show States to get in step with the planning. The Federal Government should be prepared to make grants-in-aid where necessary to help initiate State action over a trial period. There should be a free exchange of information and counsel be- tween State and Federal agencies so the planning efforts of both can be directed toward the same general problems at the proper time. State governments must recognize the need for cooperation with other States and the neces- sity for Federal arbitration on problems which are interstate in nature. They must also recog- nize the need for certain Federal controls where Federal funds are being expended. Federal agencies often find it difficult to work with State agencies. The difficulty may arise through mutual misunderstanding, through un- reasonable demands on the part of one or the other, or through a conflict of interests or objec- tives. There is no easy road to the proper. State- Federal relation in planning for water resources development. It requires continued efforts to- ward mutual understanding. There is no way that the Federal Government can force the States to participate in planning. However, ample opportunity and encouragement can be provided. The provision for State review of plans as included in the recent Flood Control and River and Harbor Acts is an excellent begin- ning, except that it does not apply to all activities in water resources planning. Active State par- ticipation in planning, rather than a mere review of plans, is to be desired. Most States are mak- ing considerable progress in cooperating through their planning facilities with the Federal pro- gram. Likewise, within the Federal agencies commendable efforts are being made to cooperate with the Sta.tes in planning, particularly in the cases of the Colorado, Columbia, Tennessee, and Missouri Basins. It is to be hoped that this progress will be continued and that even better progress can be made. In basins -where interstate water rights prob- lems are especially critical or where joint action among States and municipalities may be neces- sary for development or protection of municipal water supplies, it may be advantageous to or- ganize interstate agencies at the planning stage. The Federal Government should encourage such interstate cooperation, provided it is in harmony with comprehensive multiple-purpose programs for the basins involved. Coordination at the State Level The Commission's correspondence with State governments has revealed the fact that the States, almost without exception, have entrusted their water, land, and related resources to a number of different departments or bureaus of their State governments and usually in much the same un- coordinated manner in which the United States Government has authorized and permitted the administration of important natural resources by many unrelated departments and bureaus of gov- ernment. At field conferences in different parts of the United States there was not one spokesman for a given State, unless it were the governor or his official representative, but several speakers representing quite unrelated branches of the State administration. The Commission has found that the several States in replying to official communications and questionnaires frequently have required refer- ence of the matter to a number of independent departments reporting only to the governor as the one coordinating agency of his State. In some instances the Commission's communications led to the first occasion when all of these individuals had been brought together to make a broad, com- prehensive examination of the State's water and land use problems, including domestic and in- dustrial water supply, irrigation, pollution con- trol, erosion control, flood control, navigation, fish and wildlife, recreation, forestry, and pro- tection and conservation of ground water and related problems. The facts as generally encountered do not lead to the suggestion that each State reorganize and place in one department all divisions and bu- reaus having to do with the waters and lands of the State. Sometimes the kind of administra- tion that exists results from State constitutional provisions which may be difficult to change. In some instances, a segment of water or land use 50 |