v• •

• THE WHITE HOUSE •

WASHINGTON

•

--SF:eiteriXGDS 

MEMORANDUM FOR

October-3, 1975

•

The Secretary of Defense •

The Secretary of Interior •

The Secretary of Agriculture

The Secretary of Commerce

The Administrator, National Aeronautics

and Space Administration •

The Administrator, Environmental Protection

Agency

The Chief of Engineers, United States Army

SUBJECT: Establishment of the Committee for Civil Applications

of Classified Overhead Photography of the United States

•

The President has noted that the Commission on CIA Activities Within the

United States in discuising classified overhead photography of filo United

States concluded that it can find no impropriety in permitting continued

civilian use of such photography and that economy dictates the use of the

photographs for appropriate civilian purposes. Accordingly, the Presider

has directed the establishment of a civilian agency committee to oversee

civilian uses of classified overhead photography taken over the United Stat

To implement the President's decision, the following actions are to be

taken: • •

1. The Secretary of Interior will form a•Comrnittee for Civil Application.

of Classified Overhead Photography of the United States wilich will:

41. AD receive, evaluate, consolidate, standardize, establish

priorities and transmit to the Director of Central Intelligence

(DCI) all requests for such photogyaphy from domestic civilian

'agencies;

•

ficilitate civilian agencies' use of classified systems and coordinthe incorporation of photography, derived data, and technology in

performance of domestic civilian functions;

•

12=172CGDS BYAUTH -Henry A. Kissinger 

SEC Di? COOS No.

9 6 5

•

I/
Henry A. Kissinger

--SEeR-Erp/XGDS 

W' iam E. Colb

n•••• ••• •

supply information to civilian agencies so that they may

knowledgeably formulate requests and reach compromises

between requests and capabilities;

act as the interface between civilian agencies and intelligence

collectors, recognizing that the Director of Central Intelligence

will not be involved in judgments concerning civil agency needs

or priorities and that collection for this purpose will remain

incidental to foreign intelligence collection;

• •

oversee civilian agency uses of classified phOtography in a

manner designed to avoid any concerns that domestic photographic

coverage is being used improperly.

In performing all of the above activities, the Committee will be subject

to guidelines established by the President.

2.. The committee will be chaired by the representative of the Department

of Interior and will consist of representatives of the Departments of

Agriculture and Commerce, the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration, the Corps of Engineers and the Environmental

Protection Agency. Membership may be expanded at the discretion

of the Committee.

3. The Director of Central Intelligence will designate a representative

to serve ex officio on the Committee for the purpose of liaison with

the intelligence community, to assist in obtaining domestic photographic

coverage, to address issues concerned with the use of classified

products, and to facilitate the acquisition of security clearances for

users. Since civil usage of data is enhanced if unclassified, the DCI's

representative will be an intermediary on questions concerning release

of classified information from security controls, as appropriate.

WOO