Enrolled SR 4: Relating to the plans of the United States Postal Service to discontinue air shipment of bypass mail between Fairbanks, Alaska, and Barrow, Alaska.
00Enrolled 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.