Anchorage – Representative Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) applauds the new Statement of Cooperation on the Protection of Transboundary Waters between the State of Alaska and British Columbia. The statement was signed today by Alaska Lt. Governor Byron Mallott, the British Columbia Minister of Energy and Mines, and the British Columbia Minister of Environment.
My first session in the Legislature, I introduced legislation to protect our Alaskan waters from harmful and toxic cruise ship waste. Although it was not my legislation that eventually passed, I am proud to have been part of the effort to establish ground-breaking standards for cruise ship discharge.
Keeping Alaskan waters pristine is essential to protecting the thriving industries that rely on our oceans, including fisheries and tourism, and our Alaskan way of life.
Living in Juneau, I am reminded every day how important the health of the ocean is to our community and our state. The ocean contributes to Juneau’s spectacular beauty and amazing recreational opportunities and supports commercial fishing and tourism, which are both important parts of our economy.
I’m proud to be able to dedicate this newsletter to recent advancements in our responsible stewardship of the oceans.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy hearing from you, so please stop by the office, call, write or email.
“Supporting expanded research concerning the detrimental effects of ocean acidification.”
House Joint Resolution 10 recognizes the threat ocean acidification poses to Alaska’s marine ecosystems, tourism industry and fisheries. The resolution supports research of ocean acidification to understand the effect ocean acidification would have on Alaska’s economy.
One of the more exciting precursors to a new session is the release of bills that have been pre-filed. Although the legislation isn’t technically introduced until the first day of session, we get to see what has been worked on over the interim and what might be coming before us in the next year. The first pre-file release was this morning and the next one will be next Friday, January 14.
