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March 2016
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Trudeau's White House visit shines light on US-Canada ties
trudeau
Official visit offers joint statement on energy, climate change and Arctic leadership; committments to softwood lumber and preclearance

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took part in a historic visit with President Barack Obama earlier this month when he made the first official visit by a Canadian leader to the White House in 19 years. 

During the three-day visit that included a state dinner, Obama and Trudeau emphasized the the U.S. and Canada's long and productive relationship and highlighted a need for further cooperation to advance trade, generate growth and address environmental and security issues in North America and beyond.

On March 10 the two leaders issued the U.S.-Canada Joint Statement on Climate, Energy, and Arctic Leadership.

In regard to climate change, Obama and Trudeau agreed to formally join the Paris Agreement, and to take actions to reduce methane, hydroflurocarbon and greenhouse gas emissions.

The leaders pledged to help facilitate integration of renewable energy sources into grids, accelerate clean energy innovation and develop a joint strategy to strengthen the security and resilience of the North American electricity grid.

Aligning and improving energy efficiency standards in appliances was also on the list of desired energy outcomes; the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) has helped gather input from stakeholders for this initiative as part of the US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council.



In the joint statement, Obama and Trudeau also announced a new, shared Arctic leadership model. Major goals include protecting land and marine areas, incorporating Indigenous science and traditional knowledge into decision-making, building a sustainable Arctic economy that includes shipping, fishing and oil and gas development and supporting Arctic Communities. 

Transcript of the press conference following the statement, courtesy of The White House.

Trudeau and Obama also reinforced their commitment to bring into force the Canada-U.S. Agreement on Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance. A Canadian fact sheet prepared for the meeting notes that Canada intends to introduce legislation in Spring of 2016 to implement the preclearance agreement and expand preclearance to rail service in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

Bipartisan bills to facilitate U.S. preclearance operation in Canada were introduced in the House and Senate on March 1. A good rundown of the news, with a quote from PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison, is available from Global Trade magazine.

PNWER has been a leader in pushing preclearance forward. Through monthly calls with our Preclearance Task Force, consisting of public and private border stakeholders, we are developing a preclearance implementation strategy for our region. We have also worked with congressional staff in the Pacific Northwest and across the country to help explain the economic and security benefits of the agreement.

The major issue of a lapsed Softwood Lumber Agreement was not resolved, but both leaders committed to continue to work on the issue and report back in 100 days.

Here's a brief overview of the softwood lumber dispute and recent news, from Dickinson Wright. 

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, center, with former U.S.-Canada Ambassadors David Wilkins, left, Gordon Giffin (Canada), David Jacobson and James Blanchard. 

Morrison, who attended both the official welcome for Trudeau on the White House lawn, and a private luncheon hosted by Secretary John Kerry and the Prime Minister at the US State Department, said it was inspiring to see the leaders of Canada and the United States come together and reaffirm their long bonds of friendship and commitment to future cooperation.

"Canada and the US share the largest trading relationship in the world, and our relationship is critical to the Pacific Northwest," Morrison said. "We are glad to see our countries' leaders draw on a long history of collaboration to develop a common vision for these vital issues."

Overview of Trudeau's visit and its significance
The New York Times

The need for border improvement programs, including preclearance, and recent developments
A Better Border Is More Prosperous, More Efficient And More Secure
by Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Huffington Post Canada

Canada-US policy expert Colin Robertson's take on long-term Canadian objectives in the U.S.
A Canadian Agenda for the USA: Obama and Beyond
By Colin Robertson, Canadian Global Affairs Institute Fellow

Three experts' views on the impact of the U.S.-Canada Arctic Leadership announcement 
PNWER convenes Arctic Policy Leaders in D.C.arctic
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) hosted the Fifth Annual North American Arctic Leaders Forum on March 3 at the U.S. Capitol.

The event provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss national priorities in the Arctic, sustainable development for Arctic people and North American, as well as global, perspectives on this increasingly important region. 

Participants included the entire Alaska congressional delegation, key officials from the U.S. and Canada, Arctic policy experts and private sector stakeholders. 

Alaska State Rep. Bob Herron, chair of the PNWER Arctic Caucus, shared insights on the importance of North American leadership in Arctic policy and the critical role the region plays in the U.S. and Canada.  
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and the Alaska Congressional Delegation offered perspectives on U.S. Arctic policy at the forum.

As in the past, Sen. Lisa Murkowski was instrumental in planning and executing the event, and we were honored to hear from her and from U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and U.S. Rep. Don Young. The delegation agreed that Alaskans need to be part of Arctic climate change and energy policy developed by the federal government.  They stressed the strategic importance of Alaska to the U.S. and the importance of including local voices into any policy affecting the Arctic.

Admiral Robert Papp Jr. (ret.), Arctic Special Representative for the U.S. Department of State, discussed the United States' Arctic priorities and the One Arctic theme as the US chairs the Arctic Council.

Denis Stevens, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Canada, explained Canada's approach to the Arctic and gave a brief preview of expected themes on the Prime Minister's visit to Washington, which included cooperation in the Arctic.

Sustainable development in the Arctic and providing economic security for its people was discussed by Drue Pearce, Senior Policy Advisor at Crowell and Moring.

Arthur Mason, Ph.D., of Rice University, discussed how energy information is presented to policy makers and stakeholders. 

John Higginbotham, senior distinguished fellow at Carleton University and senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, closed out the session with a talk on the Arctic from both global and North American perspectives, challenging both governments to invest greater resources in responding to common challenges in the North American Arctic.


PNWER's Arctic Caucus will meet next on July 18 in Calgary during our next Annual Summit.

PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison will discuss PNWER's Arctic Caucus and the Arctic Economic Council at the upcoming event; One Arctic: U.S. Arctic Strategy and the Arctic Council Chairmanship, held at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. April 27-28.

Presentations 
PNWER highlights important legislative topics to congressional delegations delegate
Rep. Mike Cuffe speaks to congressional staff on invasive species issues. 
Montana State Rep. Mike Cuffe, PNWER vice president, Executive Director Matt Morrison and Senior Program Manager, Steve Myers met with key Congressional and Administrative leaders in Washignton, D.C. on March 2-3, 2016.

U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester of Montana hosted a morning coffee session and met with Rep. Cuffe to discuss the importance of the U.S.-Canada relationship in regards to the Columbia River Treaty. 

PNWER sat down with U.S. State Department lead on CRT, Brian Doherty, as well as U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke and his staff, to discuss this important topic

The need for continued funding for prevention of invasive mussels in the Columbia River basin was another major focus of delegates' meetings in Washington D.C. We asked our congressional delegations to advocate for continued federal funding to match what states spend on watercraft inspection stations to catch mussel-infested vessels as they enter the region. 

Here's a good update by the Columbia Basiin Bulletin on where $4 million appropriated in December will likely go this year, through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. PNWER, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission have all been working to bring federal dollars to states for this vital initiative. 

We spoke on the topics of invasive species with Senator Patty Murray of Washington and her staff, along with staff from Senator Maria Cantwell's office. PNWER was also able to sit down with staff from Rep. Jamie Herrera-Beutler of Washington and Rep. Mike Simpson from Idaho, who chairs the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee. 

Rounding out the visit, and with the gracious support of Rep. McMorris-Rodgers, Rep. Mike Cuffe and Matt Morrison led a briefing with the staff of Senators Steve Daines, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, along with house staff members from the offices of Reps. Peter DeFazio, Ryan Zinke, Kurt Schrader, and Herrera-Beutler on invasive species matching funding for the region to support prevention efforts. 

The final topic discussed was funding for the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. PNWER transportation working group has been working with congressional leaders on securing funding for grant that could be used toward demonstration projects in the U.S. on innovative infrastructure financing.
Delegates present regional issues to the Energy Councilenergycouncil
PNWER co-sponsored the Energy Council's Federal Energy and Environmental Matters Conference, held March 3-6 in Washington D.C. This is the eigth year PNWER has co-sponsored the event. The Energy Council is an international organization focused on energy policy.

Montana State Rep. Mike Cuffe, PNWER vice president, gave introductory remarks to the Energy Council and spoke on the important role PNWER plays in advocating for federal engagement on jurisdictional concerns. 

Montana State Rep. Mike Cuffe, (top right) PNWER Vice President, meets with members of the Energy Council in Washington D.C. From left, members include Rep. Drew Darby from Texas, Michael Teague from the Oklahoma state government, Rep. Weldon Watson, chair of the Energy Council, Severin Randall from the U.S. Senate Committee on Natural Resources,  Norman Bay, chair of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and Rep. Bob Martinson, North Dakota. 

Hon. Bob McLeod, premier of the NorthWest Territories and vice president of the PNWER Arctic Caucus, presented on both the stranded energy resources in the Northwest Territories as well as the vast opportunities there. Rep. Bob Herron spoke on Alaska's completed Arctic strategy, which implemented house and senate committees on the Arctic. 


McLeod and Herron both stressed that the people of the Arctic need to be afforded the same opportunities for economic development as the rest of our countries' citizens and peoples. 
PNWER Planning Visit in Ottawa ottawa
Following the Energy Council meeting in Washington, DC, Montana State Rep. Mike Cuffe, PNWER vice president, and PNWER Executive Director Matt Morrison travelled to Ottawa for several courtesy visits to prepare for the PNWER Ottawa trip in June. They met with Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale; with the PCO office, including Bob Carberry, Nancy Faraday-Smith and Mark Glauser, and with Geoff Barrett on the Canada-US Regulatory Cooperation Council and the Beyond the Border, accompanied by Colin Robertson. The RCC will have a stakeholder meeting in Washington, DC on May 4-5. 

Rep. Cuffe and Morrison also met with Joyce Murray, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of Treasury Board; Senators Daniel Lang (Yukon), Dick Neufeld (BC), Grant Mitchell (AB), and Wilfred Moore (Nova Scotia), as well as MP John Barlow (AB) Michelle Rempel (AB), Randy Hoback (SK), and Wayne Easter (PEI), Chair of the Canada-US Inter Parliamentary Group to discuss PNWER issues and plan for the June visit. 

The PNWER delegations also had meetings with Natural Resources Canada about the LEHI program, with Transport Canada about PNWER's upcoming symposium on oil train safety, and Global Affairs Canada on transboundary water issues. The short visit ended with a meeting with Janee Pierre-Louis, the new Department of Commerce Attache in the US Embassy and a chance to join U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman at his birthday celebration in the US Embassy.
2016 Summit comes to Calgary, Albertasummit















Mark your calendars for July 17-21, when PNWER will hold our Summit in Calgary, Alberta. The first day of the Summit coincides with the last day of the famous Calgary Stampede, July 8-17, so plan your trip accordingly!
Visit PNWER.org for complete information
See the most recent agenda
Check out accommodations. Remember to book your room early for the Stampede.
Topics:
  • Energy and Environment
  • Transportation
  • Water policy
  • Disaster Resilience 
  • Invasive Species
  • Agriculture
  • Infrastructure Finance
  • Arctic Caucus
  • Border Issues
  • Forestry 
  • Tourism
  • Mining
  • Municipal and Economic Development
  • Expanding Natural Gas Markets 
  • Economic Trends in Workforce and Innovation
  • Cross-border Livestock Health
Upcoming Event: Oil Train Safety Symposiumoil
Presented by PNWER's Center for Regional Disaster Resilience
Train cars carrying oil from the Bakken formation pass through several communities in the Pacific Northwest. Understanding and collaboration will help address safety and preparedness issues surrounding these shipments of necessary resources
Date: April 27, 2016 
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., reception following
Place: Clover Park Technical College, Lakewood, WA
Cost: $25

This symposium will provide a comprehensive overview of the current and future status of oil by rail transportation and emphasize partnerships to help ensure oil transport safety is being addressed across the region. Continental breakfast and lunch will be included.

Topics
  • Origin of oil by rail transportation
  • Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
  • Current and emerging regulation
  • Potential safety concerns
  • Spill response: local capabilities and capacities 
  • Planning for the future 
Audience
  • Northwest legislators
  • Public officials at the local, county and state levels
  • First responders and emergency management sector
  • Private sector
  • Economic development agencies
  • Public safety and environmental  organizations 
  • Utilities and ports 
  • Ecology and transportation agencies 
Register now at www.regonline.com/oilsafety to join your fellow regional public and private sector stakeholders for a productive dialogue on how to best address oil train safety issues. 


Partner Event: Mass Timber Conference timber
Location: Portland, Oregon
Date: March 22-24
WhatA lineup of expert speakers from around the world will address how we can advance cross-laminated timber and the mass timber industry in North America, and how we can increase the use of wood in low- to mid-rise and tall buildings.

See the agenda

Save the Date for an RCC Meeting, May 4-5 
Save-the-Date of May 4-5, 2016 for a Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) two-day event in Washington D.C. 

During this event we will begin identifying medium-term commitments and discussing the ongoing development of binational regulatory cooperation work plans that will be released in early summer 2016.

Further information will be available over the next few weeks, including a schedule for the meetings and registration details. In the meantime, please continue to check www.pco-bcp.gc.ca/rcc for updates.

More details are available in the RCC's March newsletter.
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ABOUT PNWERabout
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) was created in 1991 by the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Washington, and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories. 

It is a statutory public/private non-profit dedicated to increasing the economic well-being and quality of life for all citizens of the region, while maintaining and enhancing our natural environment.

Our overarching goals are to:
  • Coordinate provincial and state policies throughout the region
  • Identify and promote "models of success"
  • Serve as a conduit to exchange information.
  • Promote greater regional collaboration
  • Enhance the competitiveness of the region in both domestic and international markets
  • Leverage regional influence in Ottawa and Washington D.C.
  • Achieve continued economic growth while maintaining the region's natural environment
We will be heading to Calgary for our 2016 Summit on July 17-21, right after the famous Calgary Stampede, to address some of the greatest challenges and opportunities in the region, including trade, economic growth, industry, energy, employment and the environment. 

PNWER's 21 working groups develop yearly action items at our Summits to continually advance policy initiatives with public and private stakeholders. 

Learn more at PNWER.org
 Thank you to our Sponsorssponsors