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Action Items from the PNWER Economic Leadership Forum

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July 14-18, 2013 

Anchorage, Alaska

 

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PNWER delegates meet in Coeur d'Alene

PNWER delegates rise for the Canadian and American national anthems at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, Nov. 15, 2012.  

 

More than 120 legislators, business and government leaders gathered together to address key issues affecting the regional economy in the Pacific Northwest states and Western Canada Nov. 14-17, in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 

 

Our gracious hosts at the Coeur d'Alene Resort gave delegates a surprise trip to the "North Pole," and a beautiful fireworks display over the lake. Our group additionally got a behind-the-scenes look at key manufacturing sites Sunshine Minting Inc. and Ground Force Worldwide, as well as the Kootenai Technical Education Campus, a best practice in vocational secondary school education that could be replicated in other parts of the region.   

 

Lt. Governor Brad Little of Idaho began the forum by speaking about the importance of business competitiveness, and the role of state government to support policies that promote jobs and investment.  He then came back on the second day of the meeting to interview U.S. Senator Mike Crapo about the current debt reduction negotiations to avoid the "fiscal cliff." The program included key private sector leaders (Ed Schweitzer from Schweitzer Engineering Labs, Ron Nilson from Ground Force Worldwide, and Tom Power of Sunshine Minting Inc, among others) as well key action areas in invasive species, Transportation, a fiesty discussion of Workforce development, the challenge of energy infrastructure and foreign investment, and the Beyond the Border Action Plan. 

 

The meeting produced very specific action items that we will be working on over the next six months. These action items which were approved by the Executive Committee, can be viewed at  http://bit.ly/pnwerID. Presentations may be viewed at  www.pnwer.org/2012wintermeeting/Presentations. Event photos may be viewed on our Facebook page

 

 

Fireworks on Lake Coeur d'Alene - Thanks to the Coeur d'Alene Resort for the fantastic display and for the surprise trip to "The North Pole!"  

 

 

 

 

 

PNWER Winter Meeting in the News!


North Idaho Business Journal
Nov. 27, 2012
Sometimes five plus five equals $1 trillion. That's the combined gross domestic product of the mega trade partnership PNWER - the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region, whose annual meeting Coeur d'Alene hosted in mid-November. The group's combined resources in the Northwest and Canada represent more than 20 million people and $700 billion in gross regional product. That's a serious economic punch.
 
Associated Press
Nov. 18, 2012

Officials in northern Idaho say failing to prevent invasive zebra and quagga mussels from clogging northern Idaho waterways could end up costing the state $100 million. The Pacific Northwest Economic Region economic leadership forum meeting in Coeur d'Alene on Thursday predicts that an infestation of Idaho would damage fisheries, hydropower production, tourism and agriculture. Amy Ferriter of the Idaho Department of Agriculture says if the mussels enter Idaho there aren't any real control options. She says testing has determined mussels currently aren't in Inland Northwest Waters. 

  

Coeur d'Alene Press

Nov. 16, 2012 

The nightmare scenario is if the lakes of North Idaho and Columbia River system were to end up contaminated with zebra and quagga mussels the way Lake Mead and the Colorado River system have been. It would devastate North Idaho because of the lost value of its lakes, as the invasive mussels attach to everything in the water and suck out all the nutrients needed by native species. They ruin boats, docks, pipes, dams and shorelines. With current technology, eradication is impossible.

"The impact of these mussels is beyond anybody's wildest thought process," said Idaho state Rep. Eric Anderson, of Priest Lake. "These species out-compete all other things in the ecology when they're introduced."

 

Anchorage, Alaska 2013 

Mark your calendars for the next PNWER Summit! 

 

Don't forget to mark your calendar for the 2013 Annual Summit in Alaska, July 14 - 18, 2013.  For more information, visit www.pnwer.org/2013summit and plan on bringing your family for an incredible vacation to Alaska! 

 

 

Photos from the 

Economic Leadership Forum 

 

Professor Max Mendez and the North Idaho College choir gave a moving rendition of the U.S. and Canada national anthems at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, Nov. 15, 2012. 

 

Laura Dawson, President, Dawson Strategic and Barry Penner, Davis LLP (BC) speak on a luncheon plenary, "Assessing Foreign Takeover Bids for Key Natural Resource Assets in the Region" moderated by Jeff Morris, Director of PNWER's Energy Horizon Program at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, Nov. 15, 2012. 

 

 

The PNWER delegation got a very special visit to "The North Pole" on Lake Coeur d'Alene, courtesy of the Coeur d'Alene Resort, Nov. 15, 2012. Santa greeted his "neighbors from the south," including Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska. 

 

  

Ron Nilson, President and CEO of Ground Force Worldwide and Tom Power, President and CEO, Sunshine Minting (center) at the final Economic Leadership Forum reception held at Ground Force. 

 

 

 From left: PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison; Minister Dave Ramsay of the Northwest Territories; Egils Milbergs, Executive Director of the Washington Economic Development Commission and Idaho Sen. Curt McKenzie at the Executive Committee Meeting, Nov. 17, 2012.