PNW Communities Initiative

The PNW Community Initiative serves as a bridge to build and duplicate community innovative projects and resources between Washington and Alaska. Alaskans heavily depend on Washington State for resources including post-secondary education, medical treatments, air and sea transportation, and food. Likewise, Washington receives hundreds of millions of dollars annually from goods, tourism, medical patients, college students, and labor from Alaskans. Seattle Business Magazine's article, Alaska: A Rich Source of Washington Growth emphasizes the necessary connections between Washington and Alaskan economies. 

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Here are some examples of how this multi-state collaboration is essential for the Alaskan community as reported by the Seattle Chamber: 

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Transportation hub:

• Seattle's port is a crucial point for shipping goods to Alaska, making it the primary maritime connection between the two regions. 

• In Anchorage, Alaska the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is one of the busiest cargo airports in the world. 

• Cargo planes from Asia stop in Alaska to refuel before continuing their trip to the continental United States. ​

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Alaska Airlines connection:

• Alaska Airlines, a major carrier for Alaskan travel, is based in Seattle. 

• Alaskans move to the Seattle area at the highest rate in the nation, 182 for every 100,000 adults. That's more than three times higher than California, which ranks only 8th. Oregon edged out Hawaii for the No. 2 spot, at 103 per 100,000 — a very distant second to Alaska according to the Anchorage Daily News.

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Medical access:

• Many Alaskans rely on specialized medical care available in the Seattle area. 

• Health Care: The Seattle metro area is home to several specialized medical centers that provide life-saving care for many Alaskans. The economic impact of Alaskan patients using Puget Sound medical facilities is 1,200 jobs and $87 million.

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Education:

• Washington is the top state, outside of Alaska, for postsecondary enrollment among Alaska residents, who attend over 30 postsecondary institutions in the six-county Puget Sound area.

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Tourism and leisure:

• Seattle is a popular starting point for Alaskan cruises and tourism ventures, further strengthening the connection. 

• Nearly half the Alaska cruise market comes through Seattle, resulting in 434,600 people embarking and/or disembarking in the city for tourist activities and spending over 100 million each year in King County, Washington.

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Maritime industry:

• Interstate trade with Alaska accounted for over 80 percent of domestic containerized shipments through the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and 20 percent of total containerized shipments—roughly 10 percent of all marine cargo-related economic activity in Puget Sound.

• Just under 24,000 Puget Sound jobs and $1.3 billion in wages are tied to Alaska’s seafood industry.

• Roughly 25 percent of all maritime industrial support services in our area are connected to Alaska-related business, which equates to 5,300 jobs and $390 million in wages.

 

​Refining:

• Alaska supplies nearly half of all crude oil refined in the Puget Sound region.