CSHJR 11(RES) am S: Recognizing and honoring the relationship between Canada and Alaska.
00 CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 11(RES) am S 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 longstanding participation of Canadian teams in the Fairbanks 04 Curling Club's International Bonspiel, now in its 88th year, exemplifies the deep cultural ties 05 and shared northern identity between Alaska and Canada, highlighting a mutual love of 06 curling as both a beloved sport and a form of diplomacy that fosters goodwill, cross-border 07 friendship, and enduring cooperation through spirited, respectful competition; and 08 WHEREAS the Gwich'in people, indigenous to Interior Alaska and northwestern 09 Canada, have lived in the region for over 20,000 years, with vibrant communities in both the 10 Fairbanks area and across the border in the Yukon and Northwest Territories, maintaining 11 deep familial, cultural, and linguistic ties that continue to shape and enrich the cross-border 12 relationship between Alaska and Canada; and 13 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have developed one of the most successful 14 international relationships in the modern world, sharing a vibrant history of democratic 15 governance, military and economic partnerships, and cultural ties; and 16 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been close allies, serving on 17 battlefields alongside one another in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Gulf 18 War, the Kosovo War, and the War on Terror, including the Global Coalition against Daesh; 19 and 20 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have been partners in the Permanent Joint 21 Board on Defense since 1940, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization since 1949, and the 22 North American Aerospace Defense Command since 1958, with Alaska's North American 23 Aerospace Defense Command region proudly commanded out of Joint Base Elmendorf- 24 Richardson by an American Commander and a Canadian Deputy Commander; and 25 WHEREAS Canada has provided aid to the United States in times of need, including 26 the Iran hostage crisis, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, 27 Hurricane Katrina, wildfires in Alaska and across the United States, and other disasters; and 28 WHEREAS Alaska recognizes the importance of a strong and sovereign nation of 29 Canada and firmly supports Canada's right to self-determination, national security, and 30 economic independence; and 31 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska strive to advance the goal of sustaining healthy and
01 resilient Arctic and northern peoples and communities by strengthening economic, cultural, 02 and family connections across the region and by recognizing the historical trade and relations 03 of tribes on both sides of today's border; and 04 WHEREAS the vast, glaciated Taku, Stikine, Unuk, Salmon, and other transboundary 05 rivers that flow from the boreal forest of British Columbia into Southeast Alaska have been 06 centers of culture and commerce for thousands of years for people on both sides of the Alaska 07 and Canada border, and the State of Alaska, the Province of British Columbia, the United 08 States, Canada, Indigenous governments, and communities have the opportunity to work 09 together to steward shared resources, while also ensuring commitments outlined in current 10 agreements are upheld; and 11 WHEREAS both Canada and the United States benefit from the efficient and secure 12 movement of people and goods between countries, including as partners in vibrant regional 13 cruise industries, fishing industries, resource extraction industries, agricultural industries, 14 energy industries, and medical industries; and 15 WHEREAS the United States is Canada's premier partner in the Arctic, and 16 cooperation between Canada and Alaska is longstanding, including on economic 17 opportunities, health, education, energy, security, environmental protection, infrastructure, 18 and public safety issues; and 19 WHEREAS Alaska annually exports $596,000,000 in goods to Canada, including 20 $438,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 21 WHEREAS Alaska annually imports $753,000,000 from Canada, including 22 $370,000,000 in ore and fuel oil; and 23 WHEREAS the United States and Canada have the largest and most comprehensive 24 and balanced trade relationship in the world, totaling $1,000,000,000,000 annually, 25 representing 13.3 percent of total United States trade, with $2,500,000,000 worth of goods 26 and services crossing the United States and Canada border every day; and 27 WHEREAS the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiated in 2018 28 provides the framework for much of this bilateral trade, has provided important updates to the 29 North American Free Trade Agreement, and continues to grow both economies; and 30 WHEREAS more than 20,300 jobs in Alaska rely on trade and investment with 31 Canada, and more than 47 Canadian-owned companies operate in Alaska and employ 4,350
01 residents throughout the state; and 02 WHEREAS Canada and Alaska share diverse transportation links by road and by sea, 03 including the Alaska-Canada Highway, constructed during World War II to benefit our shared 04 defense, the Alaska Marine Highway system, which runs from Bellingham, Washington to 05 Alaska through Canadian water and has a terminal at Prince Rupert, and the uniquely 06 interdependent communities of Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder, Alaska; and 07 WHEREAS the Alaska-Canada Highway and other vital road connections serve as 08 critical lifelines for the movement of goods, people, and services between Alaska and the rest 09 of the United States through Canadian territory, fostering economic stability and security for 10 both regions; and 11 WHEREAS the Alaska State Legislature is deeply concerned by any threats or 12 actions by Canada to shut down roads into Alaska, including the Alaska-Canada Highway, 13 which would disrupt this essential connectivity and undermine the spirit of cooperation 14 enshrined in our shared history and agreements; and 15 WHEREAS such actions could jeopardize funding commitments, including those for 16 the repair and maintenance of the Shakwak road, a project vital to the safety and economic 17 well-being of Alaskans and Canadians alike, as well as threaten the broader framework of 18 Canada-Alaska agreements that support trade, infrastructure, and mutual prosperity; and 19 WHEREAS maintaining open and reliable transportation links is fundamental to 20 honoring the economic, cultural, and strategic partnership between Alaska and Canada, as 21 reinforced by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and decades of collaboration; and 22 WHEREAS the imposition of recent proposed tariffs could threaten this unique, 23 mutually beneficial relationship and could harm the economies of both Alaska and Canada, 24 jeopardizing jobs, businesses, and longstanding partnerships; 25 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the vibrancy and 26 importance of the Alaska-Canada relationship as the world increasingly recognizes the 27 strategic, economic, environmental, and cultural importance of the Arctic; and be it 28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature believes that Canada and 29 Alaska must continue to work together to make our citizens' lives better, safer, more 30 prosperous, and more affordable; and be it 31 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature recognizes the economic
01 and trade relationships between our nation and Canada and Alaska and Canada; and be it 02 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature opposes restrictive trade 03 measures or tolls that would harm the unique relationship between Canada and Alaska or 04 negatively affect our integrated economies; and be it 05 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature honors Alaska's alliance 06 with Canada and looks forward to many more years of cooperation, friendship, trade, tourism, 07 cultural exchange, and good will. 08 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President 09 of the United States; the Right Honourable Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada; the 10 Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada; the Honourable Mary Ng, 11 Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, of Canada; 12 the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence of Canada; the Honorable Marco 13 Rubio, United States Secretary of State; the Honorable Pete Hegseth, United States Secretary 14 of Defense; General Gregory M. Guillot, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense 15 Command and United States Northern Command; Lieutenant General Blaise F. Frawley, 16 Deputy Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command; Craig Weichel, Consul 17 General of Canada in Seattle, Washington; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the 18 Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Nicholas Begich, U.S. 19 Representative, members of the Alaska delegation in Congress.