Report

 

DELEGATION MEMBERS AND STAFF

From June 29-July 1, 2011, Mr. Gord Brown, M.P., Co-Chair, represented the Canadian Section of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG) at the annual meeting of the Western Governors’ Association (WGA) in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. He was accompanied by Ms. June Dewetering, Senior Advisor to the Canadian Section.

THE EVENT

The Western Governors’ Association includes the governors from 19 US western states (see the Appendix) as well as from American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The Canadian premiers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba also participate in the WGA’s activities.

The WGA uses six basic strategies to achieve its goals:

• develop and communicate regional policy
• serve as a leadership forum
• build regional capacity
• conduct research and disseminate findings
• form coalitions and partnerships in order to advance regional interests
• build public understanding and support for regional issues and policy positions.

Each year, the WGA holds an annual meeting. The 2011 meeting was chaired by Governor Butch Otter (Idaho). Governors Jan Brewer (Arizona), Christine Gregoire (Washington), Gary Herbert (Utah), John Hickenlooper (Colorado), John Kitzhaber (Oregon), Matt Mead (Wyoming) and Brian Schweitzer (Montana) also attended the meeting, as did Premier Christy Clark (British Columbia).

The next annual meeting, which will be chaired by Governor Gregoire, will be held in June 2012 in Washington. The focus for Governor Gregoire’s year as WGA chair is her “Get Out West!” initiative.

DELEGATION OBJECTIVES FOR THE EVENT

Canada and the 19 US states in the WGA share a mutually beneficial relationship. According to recent figures, more than 2.7 million jobs in those states rely on Canada-US trade. Annual bilateral merchandise trade was recently valued at almost US$103 billion: about US$39.2 billion was exported from the 19 states to Canada, while they imported more than US$63.8 billion from Canada. Residents of Canada and the 19 WGA states also visit each other frequently. Recent data suggest that, in a 12-month period, Canadians made more than 8.6 million visits to the 19 WGA states and spent almost US$4.6 billion, while residents of these states made more than 3.5 million visits to Canada and spent more than US$1.8 billion.

The Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group aims to find points of convergence in respective national policies, to initiate dialogue on points of divergence, to encourage the exchange of information, and to promote better understanding among legislators on shared issues of concern. In addition to regular meetings with their federal counterparts, in recent years, members of the Canadian Section of the IPG have attended national and regional meetings of governors as well. At these events, Canadian delegates take the opportunity to engage in the conversations that will help achieve the Canadian Section’s objectives, and to communicate the nature and scope of the bilateral relationship.

The Canadian Section of the IPG intends to participate at future annual meetings of the WGA and to continue its work in advocating Canadian interests.

ACTIVITIES DURING THE EVENT

During the 2011 annual meeting, the WGA held the following keynote, plenary and roundtable presentations and discussions:

·         Opening Keynote: Coach Chris Peterson, Boise State Broncos

·         Plenary I: Increasing Educational and Career Opportunities for Veterans

·         Plenary II: Restoring and Managing the Health of Forests in the West

·         Keynote II: Honourable Gary Doer, Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America

·         Western States and NOAA Working Together

·         Plenary III: Reducing Energy Demand by Improving Energy Efficiency

·         Roundtable Discussion: Developing Electrical Transmission for the Future of the West.

This report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the 2011 meeting.

OPENING KEYNOTE: COACH CHRIS PETERSON, BOISE STATE BRONCOS

Chris Peterson, Boise State University

• in response to a question about the key characteristics of successful teams, organizations and people, the answer is: nothing in particular and everything in general
• the formula for team success has four components:

Ø  talent, ability, experience

Ø  a culture that motivates

Ø  preparation

Ø  confidence

• there are certain key principles to keep in mind when establishing a motivational culture:

Ø  every team or organization has a culture that is chosen by its participants and that includes attitudes, behaviours, relationships, etc.

Ø  culture starts at the top with the leader(s) of the team or organization, and can be established by using power – such as position or “might” – or by using authority – such as personal influence that compels people to do what the leader wants them to do

Ø  those who lead should be facilitators of the culture rather than the focus of it, and should keep the lines of communication open; moreover, they need to be “in the trenches” or they will not be “in the loop”

Ø  understand what people want, and recognize that people want to be around capable people; often, people want autonomy and they want to make an impact

• although the use of power to establish a team’s or organization’s culture gets results more quickly than does the use of authority, it may hurt relationships; although the use of authority to establish the culture takes relatively longer and requires trust, the culture lasts longer and has the benefit of establishing relationships
• the decision about whether to use power or authority to establish a team’s or organization’s culture depends on “where the culture is currently” as well as where it needs to be and how soon it needs to be there
• if the correct culture is established, the rewards “take care of themselves”
• in establishing a championship culture, consider:

Ø  people – look for people who are smart and can figure things out quickly, are self-disciplined in thought and action, and have a high standard of performance

Ø  roles and responsibilities – consider a system where everyone has different roles and responsibilities but has the same status; moreover, consider giving people autonomy and freedom in exercising their roles and responsibilities; reinforce to people that the better they perform in the role that they are given, the faster their role will change to something better

Ø  trust – people need to trust that those around them will “do the right thing,” and will fulfill their roles and responsibilities; people should have low ego and high output, be intellectually honest and have no hidden agenda so that they do not have any positions to defend

Ø  creativity – people should have creativity and spontaneity in everything they do in order to have energy and combat stagnation; boredom and tedium should be eliminated

Ø  competitiveness – competitiveness should be promoted, coached and fostered; although it is hard to teach “a competitive spirit,” there should be an ongoing quest to be the best rather than settling for second-best; the aim should be continuous improvement

Ø  enjoyment – people should bear in mind that they started an activity because they liked it; they should learn from their mistakes and enjoy their struggles

PLENARY I: INCREASING EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS

Jim Nicholson, Former US Secretary of Veterans Affairs

• greater efforts and more action are needed regarding the welfare of US veterans, including in respect of educational and career opportunities
• there are 23.5 million veterans in the United States, and 1,800 die each day; of the 2.3 million veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Iraq, 1 million are currently unemployed
• after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Veteran Assistance Act of 2008 was passed; it addresses tuition and other educational fees and costs as well as a housing allowance; benefits can be received for up to four years, and they can be accessed for up to 15 years after the time when the individual began to be a veteran
• while educational programs are beneficial, the problem is jobs; 27% of veterans are unable to find employment; reasons for their employment difficulties include a lack of:

Ø  confidence, since they may have no experience in a civilian work environment

Ø  knowledge regarding interview techniques, how to write resumes, etc.

Ø  civilian employment experience

Ø  education in the event that they left educational pursuits in order to serve their country

• in helping veterans find employment, a multi-pronged approach is needed; to that end:

Ø  employers should be educated about the benefits of hiring veterans

Ø  veterans should be identified and mentored

Ø  veterans should be “engaged” immediately on their return to the United States

• veterans are used to teamwork and commitment, and are able to be educated
• the US Chamber of Commerce has established the “Hiring Our Heroes” initiative, which includes job fairs and efforts to match employers with potential veteran-employees
• in order to induce enlistment in military service, people need to know that they have options and will be taken care of when they return to the United States as veterans

Robert Hedelund, US Department of Defense

• many people are concerned about the challenges faced by US veterans, and solutions for them will require a team effort
• veterans need transition assistance; that said, process-driven transition assistance programs that provide assistance throughout a military career, rather than for a limited number of days after discharge from the military, are required
• there is a need to do a better job in preparing armed services members for life following their military service
• although it is not possible to promise a job after armed services members finish their service to their country, it is possible to promise them opportunities and to prepare them for life after their discharge from the military
• “pathways” following discharge from military service include:

Ø  a career that uses their armed services training, such as a military truck driver becoming a civilian truck driver

Ø  vocational training

Ø  non-vocational education

Ø  entrepreneurship

David Brasuell, Idaho Division of Veterans Services

• regarding US veterans, no one should wait for the federal government to act; a national strategic plan for them is lacking
• the private sector should learn about how US states are supporting employers that hire veterans; for example, some states are offering a variety of programs, tax credits, etc.
• the person or agency to whom or which veterans should be referred for job search, preparation of resumes, development of interview skills and other types of assistance should be clear
• employers, non-governmental organizations, communities, government agencies and others should be involved in assisting US veterans
• military recruitment and retention efforts are improved when armed services members know that they will have a job following discharge from the military
• the tuition assistance that is available in the Veteran Assistance Act of 2008 is the best since the Second World War
• if college “was for everybody,” then US youth would be in college rather than in military service
• veterans should be able to benefit from mentoring programs, expedited hiring processes, etc.

Jeff Bacon, Wyakin Warrior Foundation

• the US’ “wounded warriors” should have an opportunity to continue to contribute to their country
• a community-wide effort is needed to ensure that US veterans have their educational, job training, medical and other requirements met
• severely wounded and injured US veterans should be able to access educational support for 48 – rather than 36 – months, as well as mentoring, job training and assistance finding a job following graduation
• efforts should be made to connect veterans with each other so that they can commiserate, share experiences, support each other, etc.
• US states should work together on veteran-related programs and issues, and should share their best practices

PLENARY II: RESTORING AND MANAGING THE HEALTH OF FORESTS IN THE WEST

Doc Hastings, US House of Representatives

• early in the history of the United States, the federal role in land management involved acquiring land, including through wars and agreements with foreign nations, and then distributing land
• each US state entered the nation on an “equal footing” with the 13 states that formed the United States
• today, the federal government is responsible for about 30% of the US’ land mass, the majority of which is in the states represented in the Western Governors’ Association and much of which is “not in good shape”
• it is reasonable for people to question the federal government’s ability to take care of existing lands, let alone its ability to acquire more lands
• US Secretary of the Interior Salazar’s “Wild Lands” initiative, which was announced in December 2010, has been defunded
• there is speculation that, if the federal government is going to acquire additional lands, some federally owned lands should be sold
• there is some federal regulatory over-reach
• the US states should have the flexibility they need with respect to forests and the aftermath of forest fires
• more than 1,300 plant and animal species have been listed since the Endangered Species Act was passed, and only 20 have been recovered
• state management of lands would probably lead to better outcomes than occur with federal land management

Harris Sherman, US Department of Agriculture

• climatic conditions are affecting forest health
• the greatest flooding in 117 years of recorded history in some states coincided with the greatest drought in other states; for example, New Mexico is experiencing the driest conditions in 117 years while Montana is experiencing the wettest conditions in 117 years
• between January 1, 2011 and June 29, 2011, almost 5 million acres of forests have burned in the United States; the 10-year average is 1.8 million acres each year
• the United States is experiencing larger and more intense forest fires, and many fires are larger than 100,000 acres
• warmer winters are allowing the bark beetle to survive the winter; across the US West, 41 million acres have been affected by the beetle
• 800 million acres of national forest land need restoration in the United States
• going forward, there is a need to focus on priorities to a greater extent than has been the case in the past; restoration is critical
• the National Environmental Policy Act is useful legislation, but too much is being spent on the studies and reviews required by the legislation; streamlining is required
• more public-private partnerships are needed
• many of the US’ top ski areas are on national forest service lands; government, utilities, tourism and other industries should partner
• in the future, things should be done on a landscape-scale basis; working on small areas one at a time is not an approach that is working very well

David Groeschl, Idaho Forestry and Fire Division

• there is a need to engage in active forest management
• there are three challenges to be met:

Ø  minimize wildfires

Ø  improve forest health

Ø  create and sustain jobs

• state trust lands are a successful model
• the principles of trust land management include:

Ø  engage in proper financial management

Ø  maintain revenue generation over time

Ø  sustain forests

Ø  support communities

Ø  balance the short term and the long term to “benefit the beneficiaries”

• forests assist with clean water and air as well as wildlife habitat
• species that are less susceptible to fires, disease, etc. should be a focus
• the future “look” of forests should be determined, and progress in attaining that goal should be measured

KEYNOTE II: HONOURABLE GARY DOER, AMBASSADOR OF CANADA TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Gary Doer, Canadian Ambassador to the United States

• Canada and the United States share a great deal; for example, the two nations have a shared vision regarding land use, wildlife corridors, and energy security and innovation, among other areas
• Canada is the US’ largest trade customer and its largest source of foreign energy; tourism between the countries is also significant
• Canada and the United States are working together in a number of areas as neighbours and friends, including in international security, such as in Libya, Afghanistan and Iran
• the perimeter security and economic competitiveness agenda announced by Prime Minister Harper and President Obama in February 2011 is valuable; similarly, regulatory cooperation, which would end the “tyranny of small differences,” is useful
• Canada and the United States should work together on developing new export markets; the countries should recognize the need “to not go to where the puck is, but rather to where the puck is going”

WESTERN STATES AND NOAA WORKING TOGETHER

Jane Lubchenco, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

• in the United States, federal and state agencies must be good partners
• weather and climate have pervasive effects on people, animals, resources, etc.
• while planning and preparedness are critically important, data are needed sufficiently far in advance that plans can be activated
• about 10-14 days is the limit for reliable weather information; beyond that limit, the information is “climate” rather than “weather”
• as much advance notice as possible is needed about droughts, floods, fires and other natural hazards
• the National Integrated Drought Information System is one example of a successful collaboration and partnership between US states and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

PLENARY III: REDUCING ENERGY DEMAND BY IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Kathleen Hogan, US Department of Energy

• increased investments in energy efficiency are required
• people should always remember that there is no need to produce that which is not consumed
• the momentum provided by the energy-related funds contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 should be leveraged in order to sustain a focus on energy efficiency
• the corporate sector must “drive” energy improvements

Don Sturtevant, Simplot

• energy efficiency is a good opportunity for everyone
• for both environmental and fiscal reasons, a focus on energy is “the right thing to do”
• energy costs have a direct impact on “the bottom line”
• the least expensive energy is the energy that is not used
• at this time, energy accounts for more than 95% of greenhouse gas emissions
• the right regulatory environment and the proper incentives are needed regarding energy

Lynda Ziegler, Southern California Edison

• three ingredients for success in respect of energy efficiency are:

Ø  a public policy

Ø  funding and continuity of funding

Ø  the proper culture and ethics

• the least expensive energy is the energy that does not need to be produced
• utilities need to be protected against the adverse effects of a focus on energy efficiency, since reduced energy sales affect utilities
• utilities are faced with the challenge of balancing energy reliability with energy affordability

Bill Ritter, Colorado State University

• a governor’s leadership is key to getting people and businesses to embrace energy efficiency
• with the advent of robotics, which mean that labour costs are relatively less important in deciding where to locate businesses, energy costs are an increasingly important consideration
• although many states share similar energy challenges, the states in the US West have some unique challenges
• an interstate transmission highway grid is an ideal goal

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: DEVELOPING ELECTRICAL TRANSMISSION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE WEST

Doug Larson, Western Interstate Energy Board

• there are a variety of steps that must be considered regarding energy transmission, including:

Ø  planning

Ø  financing

Ø  siting

Ø  permitting

Ø  construction

• it is challenging to convert studies about transmission needs into an actionable plan

Dave Godfrey, Western Electricity Coordinating Council

• theoretically, transmission of energy is simple: match resources to loads and “connect the dots”; the challenge arises in determining the resources and the loads, and where to site the transmission lines
• a 10-year plan is a just-in-time model; a 20-year time frame enables better planning
• a robust plan that will enable changing requirements to be met as they arise should be developed
• a robust stakeholder process is critical for the success of a plan; it is important to determine stakeholder expectations and to identify what can be delivered

Rich Halvey, Western Governors’ Association

• the energy future of the US West is at stake, and some policy decisions must be made before planning can proceed
• with transmission, planning should occur globally but action should take place locally and regionally
• since water will be affected by energy development, energy plans must “work” from the water perspective
• the impacts of drought on energy generation and transmission must be assessed
• in terms of wildlife, sensitive areas must be identified so that developers can make appropriate choices and mitigate the impact of their actions
• one goal is inexpensive and reliable electricity for citizens

Rich Walje, Rocky Mountain Power

• public agencies prefer siting that occurs on private lands, while private land owners prefer siting that occurs on public lands
• there is a distinct lack of coordination among government entities at all levels; uniformity and consistency are needed
• financial capital is a “coward,” and nothing makes capital more “antsy” than a lack of certainty about what will happen in the future
• generation should be matched with transmission

Verne Porter, Idaho Power

• the National Environmental Policy Act does not take care of the issue of public involvement, and the public wants to be involved at the very beginning of the siting process
• the critical path is the permitting process, and the process must proceed in a timely manner
• there is no need for the public to be consulted twice; thus, the processes required by the US states and the National Environmental Policy Act should be reconciled
• “not in my backyard” sentiments are “alive and well”
• grid upgrades should occur in order to improve reliability
• collaborative efforts are required in order to protect the sage grouse

Les Starck, Southern California Edison

• in the United States, there are many federal and state agencies involved in the licensing process, and there is no consistent approach across federal agencies, across state agencies or between federal and state agencies
• agencies are not required to act in a timely manner
• processes should be streamlined
• communication is critical, including with stakeholders
• governors should lead

Lawrence Willick, LS Power Development

• it is important to see challenges as opportunities
• there are both planning and permitting challenges

 

Respectfully submitted,