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| Original News Release |
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| Original News Release |
Passport Requirements
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell
and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed a joint letter to the Canadian
and American federal governments reiterating the need to address the detrimental
effect of the planned new documentation requirements for people crossing the
border.
The United States is
currently planning to implement the new passport requirement for air and sea
travel by January 2007, and for land crossings by January 2008. A poll released
in March found that approximately one third of Americans and Canadians who live
near the border said they are less likely to cross the border if they need a
passport and they would be unlikely to purchase a new border ID card.
Premier Campbell and Governor
Gregoire are calling on the federal governments to reduce the impact of the
uncertainty on cross-border tourism, conventions and border communities,
particularly in the run-up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, by
agreeing on a realistic implementation schedule and a clear plan to communicate
the new requirements to the public.
The letter also suggests the
possible expansion of already agreed upon forms of secure documentation like
the NEXUS card. It also calls upon the federal governments to work on North
American perimeter clearance by developing and simplifying harmonized
procedures for intercepting inadmissible people and goods before they enter
North America, which would reduce the need for screening and identification at the
Canada-U.S. border.
A new B.C.-Washington Working
Group has also been established to examine and improve current foundational
documents issued by the state and province (such as driver’s licenses) using
innovative technologies that will protect identity and privacy while
strengthening security. The joint letter invites both federal governments to
participate in that working group.
Emergency Management
B.C. and Washington today
signed Annex B of the Pacific Northwest Emergency Management Arrangement (PNEMA).
The PNEMA was originally signed in 1996 by the governors of Washington, Alaska,
Idaho and Oregon and the premiers of B.C. and the Yukon Territory. B.C. and
Washington are the first signatories to Annex B, which updates the PNEMA and
provides for the co-ordination of resources and support during emergencies.
The signing of Annex B
reflects the ongoing commitment of provincial and state emergency management
officials to share information and resources in response to events like the
cross-border wildfires in the summer of 2003. It recognizes that B.C. and
Washington share natural hazard concerns such as wildfires, major earthquakes,
and flood and drought issues related to cross-border rivers. It also recognizes
that the two jurisdictions share infrastructure vulnerabilities such as power
grids, natural gas pipelines and transportation corridors.
B.C. and Washington today signed a
new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Public Health Emergencies. Since 2004,
the Washington Department of Health and the B.C. Ministry of Health have
jointly sponsored an annual Cross-Border Public Health Workshop on emerging
public health issues such as pandemic influenza. These workshops have
reinforced the need to formalize existing informal collaboration agreements and
today’s MOU is a response to that identified need.
Under the MOU, both parties agree to
undertake a collaborative approach to use available health resources to prepare
for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies. The MOU provides a
framework for future collaboration, including providing mutual assistance in
the event of a public health emergency.
Transportation
B.C. and Washington today
signed a new B.C.-Washington Transportation Protocol Agreement to improve
cross-border transportation. The protocol commits both jurisdictions to improve
communication on incidents that affect cross-border travel.
The protocol also commits
B.C. and Washington to support greater use of Intelligent Transportation
Systems at the border. The governments of B.C. and Canada have recently
invested over $220 million in infrastructure at and approaching the border, and
the governments of Washington and the United States have and are planning
significant investments in highway infrastructure leading to B.C. To build on
those investments, B.C. and Washington will explore the wider use of
Intelligent Transportation Systems such as:
The protocol signed today
will also see both governments work with their respective federal border
agencies to increase the number of travellers using existing secure
documentation programs like NEXUS and FAST.
NEXUS is a joint customs and
immigration program for frequent travellers implemented by the Canadian and
American governments and is designed to simplify border crossings for
pre-approved, low-risk travellers. With over 50,000 NEXUS users in B.C., the
B.C.-Washington region has the highest NEXUS enrolment of anywhere along the
Canada-U.S. border. Possible steps to increase NEXUS participation could
include exploring the use of a NEXUS card as an acceptable alternative form of
identification to the passport of proposed PASS card, and making the NEXUS card
cheaper or even free as a cost-efficient incentive to streamline passage for
low-risk travellers.
The FAST program is a
commercial process intended to facilitate shipments by pre-approved shippers
and carriers using FAST-registered drivers. Possible steps to expand FAST
participation could include building new FAST lanes so FAST-approved trucks and
drivers would not have to wait in general lines, and simplifying the
complicated approval requirements for shippers and drivers without compromising
security.
Under the new protocol, B.C.
and Washington will conduct a new border circulation study for commercial and
passenger vehicles to help determine the improvements necessary at border
crossings and related highways to meet increased border traffic in the future.
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contact: |
Press Secretary Office of the Premier 250 213-8218 |
Communications Director Office of Governor Chris Gregoire 360 239-4136 Cell: 360 239-1954 |
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