Impacts Alaska.

• Author: O'Connell, Dianne
• Position: Port of Seattle

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Seattle has served Alaska's supply needs since before it was a territory and the Port of Seattle continues to be the departure point for a respectable share of Alaska's shipping tonnage. In 2007 (the year of the most recently published impact study), 22 million metric tons of cargo moved over marine facilities owned by the Port of Seattle, of that total, 1.9 million tons of containerized cargo moved to and from Alaska, plus about 1.2 million tons of petroleum products. The Port of Seattle is homeport for Alaska Marine Line, Northland Services and other companies focused on Alaska.

CRUISING ALASKA

"One hundred ninety-five vessels, with 885,949 passengers, left Seattle bound for Alaska in 2010," says Linda Styrk, managing director at the Seattle Seaport. "We estimate 201 vessels with 880,918 passengers for 2012. Most of those head for the Inside Passage where the economic impact is felt in communities like Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Petersburg. That's quite an increase from 1999, when six vessels carried 6,615 passengers to your state."

The Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66 anchors an 11-acre complex along Seattle's downtown waterfront. It is home to Celebrity Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line, which offer weekly sailings to Alaska. Seattle's new cruise terminal at Pier 91 is located at Smith Cove and is home to Carnival, Disney, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean International.

The Seaport Division encompasses the port's four container terminals, two cruise ship terminals, one grain terminal, container support...