Pacific Coast leaders build regional collaboration

For Immediate Release: June 30, 2008

Governors and B.C. premier sign Pacific Coast Collaborative agreement

JACKSON HOLE, WYO. � A new Pacific Coast collaborative agreement among Washington state, Oregon, California, Alaska and British Columbia will forge a new partnership and a forum for leadership, mutual action and a common voice on issues affecting the Pacific Coast region.

The agreement establishing the Pacific Coast Collaborative was announced today by Gov. Chris Gregoire, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.

�In a world with increasingly complex challenges such as climate change, ocean health, security, or regional economic growth and stability, we require solutions that recognize global, regional, and local conditions,� Gregoire said. �Washington is proud of our leadership role at all levels, but particularly pleased to announce this regional agreement that is both interstate and international.�

The Pacific Coast Collaborative will meet at least once a year, with the chair and the meeting location rotating annually through each jurisdiction. These meetings will be a forum for information sharing and create the opportunity for collaborative action by several or all of the members together.

The collaborative will share information and cooperate to build clean energy; regional transportation; innovation, research and development; a sustainable regional economy, especially with respect to environmental goods and services; emergency management; and other topics that may arise.

�The Pacific Coast Collaborative builds on the consensus among British Columbia and other coastal jurisdictions on climate change to create engagement among leaders for cooperative action on critical issues facing the region,� Campbell said. �Together, Alaska, B.C., Oregon and Washington represent more than 90,000 kilometres of coastline, and we share common concerns and ideas for action and a network of connections between us. This is the first agreement that brings the Pacific leaders together as a common front to set a cooperative direction into the Pacific century.�

�One state alone cannot solve the fight against climate change, or protect our entire ocean, or clean the air we all share � but together, we have the tremendous power to protect our environment,� Schwarzenegger said. �That�s why these partnerships are so important � they allow us to team up to really protect our precious resources, forests, our oceans and more in a regional approach.�

�This agreement builds on the strong relationship we have on climate action and takes the relationship to a new level of collaboration,� Kulongoski said.

�I am proud to join other leaders in the Pacific Northwest to sign the Pacific Coast Collaborative,� Palin said. �The impacts of climate change in Alaska are already occurring �coastal erosion, increased storm effects, sea ice retreat and permafrost melt. The Pacific Coast Collaborative will give us the opportunity to share knowledge, experience and resources.�

The plan to build the Pacific Coast Collaborative was announced in the 2007 British Columbia �Speech from the Throne.� Agreements signed in 2007 to take action on climate change between British Columbia and California, Washington and Oregon have laid the foundation for further collaboration between the jurisdictions.