00                          HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 9                                                                         
01 Relating to the plans of the United States Postal Service to discontinue air shipment of                                
02 bypass mail between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Barrow, Alaska.                                                              
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:                                                                         
04       WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail is a longstanding United States Postal                                      
05 Service practice for fourth-class mail delivery in remote areas of Alaska; and                                          
06       WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail has enabled Alaska shippers of frozen or                                    
07 perishable goods to transport these products from Fairbanks, Alaska, to communities on the                              
08 North Slope of Alaska without significant risk of spoilage; and                                                         
09       WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail has increased the amount of freight on                                      
10 commercial carriers, which has kept passenger fares significantly lower than they would be                              
11 without the alternative revenue provided by bypass mail freight; and                                                    
12       WHEREAS the United States Postal Service has announced its intention to ship                                    
13 bypass mail by truck from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Deadhorse, Alaska, for transshipment to                                 
14 Barrow, Alaska, and the North Slope communities; and                                                                    
15       WHEREAS this plan will end bypass mail shipment of frozen or perishable goods                                   
16 from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Barrow, Alaska, because of the additional time it takes to ship by                           
01 truck and because the United States Postal Service is not required to provide for or guarantee                          
02 delivery of frozen or perishable goods in time to prevent spoilage; and                                                 
03       WHEREAS this change in postal service will cause a substantial increase in the cost                             
04 of frozen and perishable food in the North Slope communities; and                                                       
05       WHEREAS this change in postal service will cause a substantial increase in airfares                             
06 in and out of Barrow, Alaska; and                                                                                       
07       WHEREAS the United States Postal Service has not attempted to explain its plan to                               
08 the affected communities or to consult with the affected communities about its plan; and                                
09       WHEREAS a change in postal service that affects many costs and services beyond                                  
10 mail delivery should not be made without consulting the affected communities;                                           
11       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State House of Representatives urges the United                                  
12 States Postal Service to delay any change in its current bypass mail system between                                     
13 Fairbanks, Alaska, and Barrow, Alaska, until it consults with the communities that would be                             
14 affected by the change and understands the full impact of the change.                                                   
15       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to John E. Potter, Postmaster General and                               
16 CEO of the United States Postal Service; and the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable                                
17 Lisa Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative,                                        
18 members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.