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After calling the meeting to order, Mr. Acheson asked Dr. Challinor to present an overview of the Smithsonian's Chesapeake Bay Center for Environmental Studies. Assisted by photographic slides, Dr. Challinor gave a brief history of the original and subsequent land acquisitions which now total 2,600 acres, an area which he characterized as large enough to be viable for the Center's scientific inquiries. The Center has three major research programs: the Watershed Program, which has measured fresh water runoff entering the Rhode River for ten years; the Upland Ecology Program, which studies the effects of current and past land uses on plant and animal ecologies; and the Estuarine Program, which monitors the effect of land runoff on the quality of estuarine receiving waters and their ecology. Dr. Challinor also described the Education Program, in which special attention is paid to enhancing learning for teachers, children, and adults outside of the classroom. After discussion the Committees thanked Dr. Challinor for his presentation.

Mr. Powers followed by giving a brief outline of the development of the draft Standards of Conduct, an earlier version of which had been discussed by the Committees in joint session October 14, 1981. Mr. Powers spoke about new language in the draft but emphasized that the concepts are rooted in trust law and are not new. It was noted that some additional refinements might be made before the Standards would be approved by the Secretary. In discussion the Committees questioned the degree of rigidity of some of the Standards but commended the staff for the thoughtfulness with which the document has been prepared. The Committees felt that given the unique nature of the Institution, the language of the Standards should make it clear that they were being adopted and applied as a matter of Smithsonian policy, rather than as an extrapolation of Federal law.