00 Enrolled SR 4                                                                                                           
01 Relating to the plans of the United States Postal Service to discontinue air shipment of bypass                         
02 mail between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Barrow, Alaska.                                                                     
03                                         _______________                                                                 
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:                                                                                         
05      WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail is a longstanding United States Postal                                       
06 Service practice for fourth-class mail delivery in remote areas of Alaska; and                                          
07      WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail has enabled Alaska shippers of frozen or                                     
08 perishable goods to transport these products from Fairbanks, Alaska, to communities on the                              
09 North Slope of Alaska without significant risk of spoilage; and                                                         
10      WHEREAS air shipment of bypass mail has increased the amount of freight on                                       
11 commercial carriers, which has kept passenger fares significantly lower than they would be                              
12 without the alternative revenue provided by bypass mail freight; and                                                    
13      WHEREAS the United States Postal Service has announced its intention to ship                                     
14 bypass mail by truck from Fairbanks, Alaska, to Deadhorse, Alaska, for transshipment to                                 
15 Barrow, Alaska, and the North Slope communities; and                                                                    
16      WHEREAS this plan will end bypass mail shipment of frozen or perishable goods                                    
17 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 Senate urges the United States Postal                                       
12 Service to delay any change in its current bypass mail system between Fairbanks, Alaska, and                            
13 Barrow, Alaska, until it consults with the communities that would be affected by the change                             
14 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.