| Abstract: | Abstract The process by which a decision is made in many instances limits and shapes the form of that decision. The institutions involved, the timing of their involvement, and the ultimate goal of the process itself are integral factors in determining the substance of a decision. It is the thesis of this paper that the decision to lease areas of our Outer Continental Shelf is determined more by the process of making that decision than by any other factor. This thesis is explored from an historical and an analytical perspective and the conclusion drawn is that the present leasing process limits the scope of alternative decisions. For although the Department of the Interior has demonstrated an increased sensitivity to a broad spectrum of environmental and economic issues in the micro‐decision process, such as specific tract nominations and oil spill prevention, they have remained reluctant to apply this sensitivity to the macro‐decision process, that process which determines the optimal utilization of our ocean and land resources. |
