Memorandum on the Need for Coordination for Development Planning

Memorandum to:

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Interior

Secretary of Agriculture

Director, Office of Economic Opportunity

Co-Chairman, Appalachian Regional Commission Director,

Bureau of the Budget

SUBJECT: Coordination for Development Planning

The Federal Government, through a number of departments and agencies, is now authorized to require and assist State and local governments and specialized agencies to formulate and carry, out development plans.

Comprehensive planning covering wide areas is a promising and extremely important beginning to the solution of critical State, metropolitan, and regional problems. It is essential that it be done well.

At the Federal level, we must coordinate our efforts to prevent conflict and duplication among federally-assisted comprehensive planning efforts.

This should have two aspects:

State and local development planning agencies should be encouraged to work together in using common or consistent planning bases (i.e., statistical and economic estimates), and in sharing facilities and resources.

Boundaries for planning and development districts assisted by the Federal Government should be the same and should be consistent with established State planning districts and regions. Exceptions should be made only where there is clear justification.

I am requesting the head of each of the departments and agencies concerned with these matters to work with the Director of the Bureau of the Budget to insure the fullest coordination in fixing the boundaries of multijurisdictional planning units assisted by the Federal Government.

LYNDON B. JOHNSON