Steven R. Myers is the Arctic Caucus Program Manager for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region
(PNWER).
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Commentary
The Importance of Public & Private Sector
Engagement in the Arctic
Steven R. Myers
It is significant that Prime Minister Stephen Harper has chosen the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq as
Chair of the Arctic Council for Canada‘s two year term which began this May. The Harper
government has a clear focus on the importance of the Arctic, and the U.S. should work closely with
the Canadian Chair to support Canada‘s initiatives, and be ready to assume the Chair in 2015 with a
cohesive approach to leadership in the Arctic Council.
Over the past four years, the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) has been engaging
public and private sector stakeholders from Alaska, Yukon and the Northwest Territories on a
number of sustainable economic development issues through the PNWER Arctic Caucus. To ensure
local people are included in the discussion about the Arctic, the Caucus established a coordinated
approach of shared solutions to address common challenges. The Caucus has been a valuable tool
for PNWER to bring sub-national concerns to national Arctic decision makers, especially in the U.S.
PNWER also works to ensure the voice of the Arctic is heard across the rest of the region that
includes the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, as well as Alaska, and the
provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The goal has been to develop action
items for the region that will lead to specific solutions for common challenges.
Because the PNWER Arctic Caucus is a cross-border forum, the differences between the U.S. and
Canada on Arctic policy are evident. Canada has a long established connection to the Arctic. The