(Anchorage) – Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy opened, virtually, the Western Governors’ Association’s Working Lands, Working Communities Initiative workshop Tuesday. The event was hosted in Ketchikan, Alaska this year and featured conversations between federal, state and local policymakers and stakeholders.

“Under the previous administration, America was an economic powerhouse,” said Governor Dunleavy during his opening remarks. “Things have changed rapidly in the first several months of this new administration. Alaska’s resource projects, whether it’s oil or mining, were canceled by this new administration. We were supposed to be allowed to develop resources, pay for ourselves and create a future for our state, our kids, and our grandkids. That is being stifled right now.”

The Ketchikan workshop was the third in the Governor of Idaho Brad Little’s WGA initiative, which is searching for policy recommendations to strengthen rural communities through effective working lands. The workshop included expert panels on timber, tourism, mining, workforce development, tribal engagement, permitting, fishing and water quality.

WGA works on behalf of 21 state and territorial Governors. Chair initiatives allow the Governors to gather policy experts from the western states and territories to develop advocacy positions that are then used to influence federal policy and law.

“The civilization we have today was built on resources, things like coal, gas, oil, and at one time, wood,” said Governor Dunleavy. “Whether you are a traditional individual, in terms of resources that we use to fuel our vehicles and heat our homes; or whether you believe in the new economy, the green economy, with renewables – you are going to need resources.”

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