Executive Order 7065—Creating the National Resources Committee

By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me under the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935, approved April 8, 1935, 49 Stat. 115, and to provide a means of obtaining information essential to a wise employment of the emergency appropriation made by said Act, I hereby establish an agency within the Government to be known as the National Resources Committee, consisting of the Secretary of the Interior (Chairman.), the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, the Federal Emergency Relief Administrator, Frederic A. Delano, Charles E. Merriam, and Wesley C. Mitchell, who shall serve as members without compensation. A committee advisory thereto, consisting of Frederic A. Delano (Chairman), Charles E. Merriam, and Wesley C. Mitchell, is hereby constituted, to which advisory committee members may be added from time to time by the President. The compensation of the members of the advisory committee shall be fixed by the President. I hereby prescribe the functions and duties of the National Resources Committee as follows: (a) To collect, prepare and make available to the President, with recommendations, such plans, data and information as may be helpful to a planned development and use of land, water, and other national resources, and such related subjects as may be referred to it by the President. (b) To consult and cooperate with agencies of the Federal Government, with the States and municipalities or agencies thereof, and with any public or private planning or research agencies or institutions, in carrying out any of its duties and functions. (c) To receive and record all proposed Federal projects involving the acquisition of land (including transfer of land jurisdiction) and land research projects, and in an advisory capacity to provide the agencies concerned with such information or data as may be pertinent to the projects. All executive agencies shall notify the National Resources Committee of such projects as they develop, before major field activities are undertaken. In the performance of such duties and functions and within such amounts as may be allocated by the President . . . I hereby authorize the said committee to accept and utilize such voluntary and uncompensated services and, with the consent of the State, such State and local officers and employees, and appoint without regard to the provisions of the civil service laws, such officers and employees as may be necessary, prescribe their duties and responsibilities and, without regard to the Classification Act of 1923, as amended, fix their compensation: Provided, That in so far as practicable, the persons employed under the authority of this Executive Order shall be selected from those receiving relief. The National Resources Board and the advisory committee established by Executive Order No. 6777, dated June 30, 1934, are hereby abolished, and all personnel, property, records, rights, etc., of said Board are hereby transferred to said National Resources Committee. There is hereby transferred to the National Resources Committee the unexpended balance of all moneys heretofore made available for expenditure by the National Resources Board, which moneys shall be available for discharge of obligations lawfully incurred by said Board; and for the expenses of the National Resources Committee hereunder funds will be hereafter allocated to said Committee from the appropriation made by the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935. This Executive Order shall take effect at the close of business on June 15, 1935.