In mid-September, Southeast Conference held their 2019 Annual Meeting in Sitka, Alaska. The theme for this year’s annual meeting was, “Building the Economy of Tomorrow.” Leaders and participants from the district heard reports from the major industries such as tourism, mining, timber, hydropower, seafood, and healthcare. There were also reports given directly from the Alaska State Legislators, who represent the Southeast region, or from the local, state, or federal government liaisons. All the presentations can be reviewed here.
While previous Southeast Conference meetings usually stay focused on economic growth ideas, a lot of the focus of this year’s meeting was on the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS): it’s precarious political and financial situation, removal of service from Prince Rupert, and the future of the system.
It goes without saying that ferries are vital to our communities and our economy. The AMHS has been the backbone of the coastal community’s transportation system for nearly three generations. There was a lot of pushback from coastal Alaska during the last legislative session and over the summer regarding operations of the AMHS and its budget. One bright spot is that the Senate Finance Committee restored approximately $84 million dollars to AMHS savings accounts for future use. These funds had been targeted to be swept away and were going to be used for non-AMHS purposes.
I sincerely hope the Alaska Department of Transportation has heard our voices and adequately provides funding for the AMHS’s future.
I would like to thank all of you who reached out to my office in support of Alaska Marine Highway System – it is worth fighting for.
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