September 26, 2018
Wednesday AM

Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Southeast Conference Annual Meeting right here in Ketchikan. Ketchikan was an incredible host for hundreds of conference attendees; thank you to all the local volunteers. The conference even included a community reception and tours of the shipyard, the OceansAlaska hatchery, PeaceHealth, and the opening of the UAS-Ketchikan Maritime Center.

Topics ranged from our ferry system to the visitor industry to our tribal governments. All of the discussions were helpful for me as a legislator to learn and be reminded of Southeast Alaska’s top priorities and how we can accomplish them.

The legislature has relied on knowledge and strategies put forth by Southeast Conference in multiple areas, particularly the idea to establish a corporation for our ferry system. HB 412, which was introduced in the House Transportation committee late last session, is a direct result of Southeast Conference. If adopted, the AMHS would become an Independent Authority entity, similar to the Alaska Railroad, which is a public corporation owned by the residents of Alaska.

I have also worked closely with various mariculture groups that are vocal at Southeast Conference. One of my main legislative priorities is to see a growth in ‘blue agriculture,’ such as geoduck, sea cucumbers, and oysters. ‘Blue agriculture’ was a prominent theme at this year’s meeting.

Some other industries discussed were our mining industry and the timber industry, particularly in regards to the steps taken at the federal level to exempt Alaska from the Roadless Rule. Although Alaska, including Southeast, has had some economic difficulty in the past few years, the conference highlighted some bright spots, hope for future endeavors, and incredible ideas.

Thank you to SEC for continuing to be an organizer for community goals and ideas. Happy 60th birthday! I look forward to another sixty years of co-operation and bringing together the vast array of people and organizations dedicated to Southeast Alaska.

Respectfully

Rep. Dan Ortiz
Ketchikan, Alaska

Editor's Note:

The text of this letter was NOT edited by the SitNews Editor.

Received September 21, 2018 - Published September 26, 2018

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