CSHJR 11(RES) am: Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska.
00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11(RES) am 01 Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS Canada and the United States share the world's longest international 04 border, spanning 5,511 miles, with Alaska and Canada sharing 1,538 miles of that border, 05 which serves as a vital corridor for trade, travel, and cross-border cooperation; and 06 WHEREAS Canada is Alaska's only neighbor, reinforcing a unique and deeply 07 interconnected relationship built on geography, history, and mutual economic and cultural 08 ties; and 09 WHEREAS both Canada and Alaska are blessed with extraordinary natural 10 environments, valuable natural resources, and shared cultures that stretch back millennia; and 11 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska have worked together to create jobs through 12 integrated economies, to protect our shared environment, airspace, and border, and to defend 13 North America from threats; and 14 WHEREAS the citizens of Canada and the citizens of Alaska have developed deep 15 friendships, family ties, and collaborative relationships over the course of history; and 16 WHEREAS Alaska and Canada have long supported international sporting and
01 cultural exchanges, which promote youth development, athletic excellence, and cross-cultural 02 understanding between the northern communities of the United States and Canada; and 03 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have developed one of the most successful 04 international relationships in the modern world, sharing a vibrant history of democratic 05 governance, military and economic partnerships, and cultural ties; and 06 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been close allies, serving on 07 battlefields alongside one another in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Gulf 08 War, the Kosovo War, and the War on Terror, including the Global Coalition against Daesh; 09 and 10 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been partners in the Permanent Joint 11 Board on Defense since 1940, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 1949, and the 12 North American Aerospace Defense Command since 1958, with Alaska's North American 13 Aerospace Defense Command region proudly commanded out of Joint Base Elmendorf- 14 Richardson by an American Commander and a Canadian Deputy Commander; and 15 WHEREAS Canada has provided aid to the United States in times of need, including 16 the Iran hostage crisis, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, 17 Hurricane Katrina, wildfires in Alaska and across the United States, and other disasters; and 18 WHEREAS Alaska recognizes the importance of a strong and sovereign nation of 19 Canada and firmly supports Canada's right to self-determination, national security, and 20 economic independence; and 21 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska strive to advance the goal of sustaining healthy and 22 resilient Arctic and northern peoples and communities by strengthening economic, cultural, 23 and family connections across the region and by recognizing the historical trade and relations 24 of tribes on both sides of today's border; and 25 WHEREAS the vast, glaciated Taku, Stikine, Unuk, Salmon, and other transboundary 26 rivers that flow from the boreal forest of British Columbia into Southeast Alaska have been 27 centers of culture and commerce for thousands of years for people on both sides of the Alaska 28 and Canada border, and the State of Alaska, the Province of British Columbia, the United 29 States, Canada, Indigenous governments, and communities have the opportunity to work 30 together to steward shared resources, while also ensuring commitments outlined in current 31 agreements are upheld; and
01 WHEREAS both Canada and the United States benefit from the efficient and secure 02 movement of people and goods between countries, including as partners in vibrant regional 03 cruise industries, fishing industries, resource extraction industries, agricultural industries, 04 energy industries, and medical industries; and 05 WHEREAS the United States is Canada's premier partner in the Arctic, and 06 cooperation between Canada and Alaska is longstanding, including on economic 07 opportunities, health, education, energy, security, environmental protection, infrastructure, 08 and public safety issues; and 09 WHEREAS Alaska annually exports $596,000,000 in goods to Canada, including 10 $438,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 11 WHEREAS Alaska annually imports $753,000,000 from Canada, including 12 $370,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 13 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have the largest and most comprehensive 14 and balanced trade relationship in the world, totaling $1,000,000,000,000 annually, 15 representing 13.3 percent of total United States trade, with $2,500,000,000 worth of goods 16 and services crossing the United States and Canada border every day; and 17 WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated in 2018 18 provides the framework for much of this bilateral trade, has provided important updates to the 19 North American Free Trade Agreement, and continues to grow both economies; and 20 WHEREAS more than 20,300 jobs in Alaska rely on trade and investment with 21 Canada, and more than 47 Canadian-owned companies operate in Alaska and employ 4,350 22 residents throughout the state; and 23 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska share diverse transportation links by road and by sea, 24 including the Alaska-Canada Highway, constructed during World War II to benefit our shared 25 defense, the Alaska Marine Highway system, which runs from Bellingham, Washington to 26 Alaska through Canadian water and has a terminal at Prince Rupert, and the uniquely 27 interdependent communities of Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder, Alaska; and 28 WHEREAS the Alaska-Canada Highway and other vital road connections serve as 29 critical lifelines for the movement of goods, people, and services between Alaska and the rest 30 of the United States through Canadian territory, fostering economic stability and security for 31 both regions; and
01 WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature is deeply concerned by any threats or 02 actions by Canada to shut down roads into Alaska, including the Alaska-Canada Highway, 03 which would disrupt this essential connectivity and undermine the spirit of cooperation 04 enshrined in our shared history and agreements; and 05 WHEREAS such actions could jeopardize funding commitments, including those for 06 the repair and maintenance of the Shakwak road, a project vital to the safety and economic 07 well-being of Alaskans and Canadians alike, as well as threaten the broader framework of 08 Canada-Alaska agreements that support trade, infrastructure, and mutual prosperity; and 09 WHEREAS maintaining open and reliable transportation links is fundamental to 10 honoring the economic, cultural, and strategic partnership between Alaska and Canada, as 11 reinforced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and decades of collaboration; and 12 WHEREAS the imposition of recent proposed tariffs could threaten this unique, 13 mutually beneficial relationship and could harm the economies of both Alaska and Canada, 14 jeopardizing jobs, businesses, and longstanding partnerships; 15 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the vibrancy and 16 importance of the Alaska-Canada relationship as the world increasingly recognizes the 17 strategic, economic, environmental, and cultural importance of the Arctic; and be it 18 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature believes that Canada and 19 Alaska must continue to work together to make our citizens' lives better, safer, more 20 prosperous, and more affordable; and be it 21 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the economic 22 and trade relationships between our nation and Canada and Alaska and Canada; and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes restrictive trade 24 measures or tolls that would harm the unique relationship between Canada and Alaska or 25 negatively affect our integrated economies; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature honors Alaska's alliance 27 with Canada and looks forward to many more years of cooperation, friendship, trade, tourism, 28 cultural exchange, and good will. 29 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 30 of the United States; the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; the 31 Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; the Honourable Mary Ng,
01 Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, of Canada; 02 the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence of Canada; the Honorable Marco 03 Rubio, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary 04 of Defense; General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense 05 Command and United States Northern Command; Lieutenant General Blaise F. Frawley, 06 Deputy Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Craig Weichel, Consul 07 General of Canada in Seattle, Washington; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 08 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 09 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.