Review of 2006 Action Items

• Intro to dairy industry in AK from historic perspective
• Critical issues facing the idustry; closure of state owned creamery
• meat processing facility
• future of Ag in the state
• AK produce industry

• Trusted Traveler Programs
• PACT ACT
• Family Nexus

What are Native Corporations?

1. Why do they exist? 
2. How have they benefited the Alaska Native community from holistic and small community perspective?
3. What is the vision for Native corporations for the next 10-20 years?

1. NANA owns Red Dog mine mineral deposit, how they partnered with Teck Cominco who is responsible for developing and operating the mine.
2. Highlight collaboration between the two entities and what it has done for the community.
3. Living conditions of NANA shareholders before and after the mine.
4. Skills developed on the job that assisted in advancing mine workers' quality of life.

1. How Tech Cominco and NovaGold partnered to build the Galore Creek copper-gold mine in Northwestern British Columbia.
2. How BC is partnering with the Tahltan Nation to develop the mine

1. How Barrick, NovaGold and Calista Corporation have partnered in the Donlin Creek Project
2. Economic effects on the community and Calista shareholders. 
3. Highlight employment practices: employees work 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off which allows them to maintain a subsistence lifestyle

1. Introduce Energy Map
2. Big projects coming down the road in the next 10-20 years in the Pacific Northwest Region especially the Natural Gas Pipeline.
3. How infrastructure developments will affect and involve many communities. Especially the development of the pipeline in ANWR.
4. PowerPoint slides covering workforce issues from Alberta to Alaska.

• Moderators: Steve Borell and Dave Coutts

a. Questions:

1. How do you work with tribal cultures to recruit and maintain employees?
2. How do companies reconcile the differences between the existing and expanding construction industry and Native cultures?
3. How can companies attract workers so they are able to advance their quality of life while preserving values that are precious to them such as a subsistence lifestyle?

b. Action Plan Discussion: What are the criteria that will lead to successful involvement of first nation in future natural resource development projects, including the gas pipeline? [Moderated by co-chairs]

The Folllowing Panelists will take part:

1. Specific proposals and overall showcase plan will be introduced with each of the four components discussed and critiqued by participants.
2. Goal is to find a list of committed stakeholdesr to the full development of each component.

The US Department of Energy is continuing to lead the effort to implement the corridor provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (particularly Sections 368 and 1221). DOE expects to begin implementing the process for identifying energy corridors on federal lands in Alaska in the fall of 2007.

Over the past year, PNWER has been very active in developing a regional promotion strategy (Called TerraNW) to maximize visibility for the region surrounding the 2010 Olympics.  Participants in this meeting will have the opportunity to learn more about how the program is working and the world-wide partnerships being developed. 

Questions to be addressed by the panel include:

• How can we maximize potential media interest in our region around upcoming international events?
• How do we link the venues and local tourism destinations?
• How do we best support participation in Olympic training by local businesses and communities?
• What does the region need to do to get teams to begin training in the region early and often?

The Province of BC has developed a new strategic tourism plan, Washington State is establishing its first public-private tourism commission, and many other changes in the tourism industry are in development throughout our region. 

This session will focus on currently emerging areas of both policy and marketing cooperation for the region, and how to maximize them through PNWER and other regional channels. 

1. How can our region utilize existing partnerships to become more resilient?
2. What is being done at the federal level to assist with regional preparedness?
3. What is being done to overcome cross border barriers that might hinder response and recovery?

1. How is PNWER working to coordinate critical infrastructure security efforts around the region?
2. Why is PNWER seen as a model for the rest of North America?
3. How are regional partnerships working to increase resiliency?

1. What unique approach has Alaska taken to coordinate homeland security?
2. How could this model be expanded to other jurisdictions?
3. How is the military, government and private sector involved in decision making?

• National Buyer/Seller Forum
• ICOSMO Presentaiton

1. How are we addressing competitiveness across the region? Are there best practices we can all learn from?
2. What can we do as a region to facilitate a smoother flow of goods throughout the region so that the cost of transport is not passed onto the consumer or tourist? (I.E. taxes, fees, shipping costs, energy costs, border customs' consistency, etc.)
3. How can we sustain rural communities and regions, and keep them viable? (I.E. flow of people, goods and services out, reduction of jobs, increasing housing and infrastructure needs in larger centers, etc.)
4. What new issues and opportunities are emerging as a result of market expansion into countries within the Asia-Pacific region, or in other developing global markets?
• counterfeiting
• anti-piracy
• safety of goods
• overload of suspected cargo held at port terminals
• where can answers be found?
5. How can we share the expertise, opportunities and synergies of the research and development institutions throughout the region?

Recent reports from government, trade and industry associations highlight a broad range of worker shortages in both Canada and the United States. In the Pacific Northwest, shortages of both skilled and unskilled workers are driven by a variety of factors such as major infrastructure projects, energy based developments, the 2010 Olympics, an aging population and declines in the number of students pursuing high-demand degrees.

A variety of strategies have been developed and deployed across the Pacific Northwest to address various aspects of worker shortages, skill gaps, educational capacity and labor mobility.  This session seeks to identify key issues among the states and provinces; while providing examples of innovative partnerships, programs and policies that seek to address these issues.

• Are there policies developed in the region that may provide a framework for stronger regional collaboration to address workforce issues?
• What are the global opportunities to further education and training for students? What are the opportunites and risks associated with educating students outside of their place of residence?
• Do foreign training relationships enhance workforce at home? If so what is the return for states and provinces?
• What actions can we take as a region to strengthen our ability to attract and retain a workforce to meet our growing needs?
• How do we think and act like a region as it relates to workforce?

A review of current efforts to manage the integration of wind energy in the northwest.

A variety of speakers will raise the profile of the region’s premier energy institutions and explore how work more closely with the public and private sectors. Potential speakers include representatives of Idaho National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and/or the University of Alaska (Fairbanks).

Given increasing intermodal transportation infrastructure to handle escalating demand from Trans-Pacific shippers, the region is facing huge infrastructure development projects in the next decade putting great additional demand on our transportations systems.

This Bi-National Panel will address the following questions:

• What models of success can we look to that benefit from increased shipping paying for additional infrastructure needs?
• Alameda corridor?
• Others?
• Who is responsible for providing this infrastructure?
• The region is plagued with congestion that will require major investment in freight mobility infrastructure. Who will invest? Why? What are we investing in?
• How do we deal with international freight paying additional fees on roads and railroads; should freight pay for additional infrastructure beyond its already large fees or should the burden be borne by the public?
• How much more should we ask of the users above and beyond what they currently contribute?
• Will this threaten short sea shipping initiative?
• At what point will a tax on ocean cargo drive containers back on congested roads and rail?
• What is the right balance?
• What are the best mechanisms for raising money or increasing revenues for intermodal infrastructure, both public and private?

• What criteria should future policy include?
• What steps could lead to a greater regional understanding and consensus for addressing this issue?

Climate change has already begun to alter precipitation patterns in the Pacific Northwest. Changes in the amount of precipitation that falls as rain in winter will continue to reduce annual snowpack in some areas resulting in changes in timing and volume of spring melt. Longer periods of low stream flow in late summer are also expected to put greater pressure on water supplies in those areas where glacial melt is non-existent or much reduced or where existing water supplies are already fully allocated.

Cumulatively these changes will impact water storage, hydro-pwer generation and municipal water availability as well as agricultural, industrial and tourism use patterns. Such wide ranging impacts are likely to demand further water conservation measures and new water management strategies in many Canadian and American watersheds. These strategies are likely to have implications for established relations between upstream and downstream neighbours who share these water resources. The forum will explore current knowledge relating to the changing hydrology of the Pacific Northwest and how policy makers might respond to ensure continued positive relations between Canada and the United States.

The goal of the Water Policy Task Force is to continue the dialogue from the Annual Summit and move forward in identifying important regional issues related to water and to establish mechanisms for establishing and moving toward consensus on these issues.

The Regional (Bi-National) view on climate change policy will be discussed with a panel of public and private sector experts. Panelists will address the following questions:

1. From your perspective, what steps stand out regarding climate change
policies in the region? What are the best practices today? Where are we
making the most progress?

2. How can we encourage the development / alignment of regulatory and
policy frameworks in a way that enhances economic competitiveness and
fosters innovation, commercialization and the implementation of clean
technologies in the fight against climate change? How can we do this
with the goal of maintaining a 'level playing field ' within sectors /
regions?

3. What are the opportunities and barriers to developing an integrated
multi-sector market-based "Cap and Trade" program to promote regional
climate change emission reduction initiatives? Are we making any
progress?

PNWER has compiled a list of climate change policy legislation from thorughout the region that can be downloaded here.

• What approaches are being/need to be taken to address the unique problems facing Aboriginal and First Nations people in achieving good health?
• Are there lessons that might be shared across the PNWER region or initiatives that might be taken collectively to improve the health status of Aboriginal peoples in both our rural and urban areas?

• What strategies have been deployed by healthcare providers and governments to improve access and patient care to traditionally undeserved or rural communities?
• What are the challenges and opportunities related to healthcare information technology (IT) implementations? Are their examples of implementations that have resulted in the reduction of costs, better patient care or diagnosis?

The PNWER region is home to a variety of notable research and development collaboration; however the goals, models and partners vary. This session seeks to explore successful models of R&D collaboration across the region, learning how collaborations are formed, notable achievements and plans for the future. Panelists will cover a wide spectrum of R&D-related activities including applied research, business incubation, technology transfer and funding; as well as tools and programs they have created to assist in the formation or identification of collaborative research and commercialization partnerships. In addition, this panel and working group will engage in a dialogue regarding the value proposition of collaboration versus competitions, explore how organizations define successful R&D collaborations; and explore the potential for stronger regional collaboration in the future.

• Have state and provinces developed strategic plans to determine where research and development investments should be made (e.g. specific sectors or technologies)?
• What is the importance of business incubators and entrepreneurial support services in supporting the growth and sustainability of technology firms?
• How do these programs facilitate collaboration between the public and private sector?
• How are R&D partnerships developed or identified? By whom?
• Given the importance of the R&D activities and investments by each of the PNWER jurisdictions; what gaps or issues are most likely to help or hinder research and development capacity in the near term? Long term?

Upon conclusion of the Annual Summit, PNWER will begin planning for the Winter Economic Leadereship Forum (Nov 15-17, 2007) and implementing action items put forth by the High Tech Working Group. Following a brief update on the Pacific NorthWest Innovation Network, session participants will be invited to provide feedback on the focus and direction of the PNWER's High Tech program and provide input into topics of interest for the winter meeting.

This working group is focused on the opportunity to develop regional ocean and river energy resources and seize the worldwide economic opportunity for the emerging technologies and power project expertise. The purpose of this session is to review progress, consider the development needs, the path to commercial ocean energy and consider the opportunity to get viable projects in the water before the 2010 Winter Olympics when the world's spotlight will be on the Pacific Northwest.

• Resource Opportunity for AK, BC, WA, OR
• How do we look at it as a regional resource opportunity?
• How does the resource match the users/grid?

• Acceptance of the realities of the experience/cost curve
• Enabling financial investment

• Proposal to treat all early projects as PPP Development initiatives
• Proposal to intergovernmental sharing of approaches and experience
• Proposal for a broader intraregional communication initiative for ocean energy development

This session focuses on identifying current gaps in network coverage in the Pacific Northwest and the impact of this on economic development and emergency communication capabilities.

• What areas in the Pacific Northwest are facing gaps in CDMA and GSM network coverage and/or critical gaps in cellular service? Or (if gaps are identified in advance of session) how do we address these specific gaps?
• What states/provinces have successfully addressed these issues and how was that accomplished?
• What are the limiting factors in economic development in areas that are experiencing these gaps in network coverage?
• What are the technologies that have been developed that enable this issue to be addressed?
• What are the benefits of seamless network coverage for the Pacific Northwest?
• What is the role of government in addressing these coverage gaps in support of economic development and/or emergency communications; particularly when market forces limit or deter the private sector's ability to act?

This session will focus on advanced communications infrastructure in the region, with a particular focus on north to south communications. Panelists will identify capacity constraints in the current infrastructure; discuss the redundancy of the current infrastructure and costs associatied with an infrastructure build-out.

• Why is advanced communications infrastructure important to economic development?
• What are the current capacity constraints or gaps in redundancy of the current infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest?
• Are their overlapping interests in infrastructure build-outs that may facilitate collaboration?
• How are organizations evaluating and addressing community capacity demands, particularly in rural areas that are not viable as stand alones?
• Is there a collective way to pool customer requirements for capacity between jurisdictions to warrant an investment in new infrastructure?
• Is there a reasonable comparison between the demand for advanced communications infrastructure today and the highway demands and subsequent investment in the 1940's? If so what is the role of government in addressing these demands, particularly when market demand or cost limit private sector ability to act?