Ships pass in the night: ports of Bellingham and Anacortes serve Alaska well.

• Author: Friedenauer, Margaret
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

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Tucked in the Northwest comer of Washington state, nudging up against the Canadian border, is the Port of Bellingham. It's smaller and shallower than the ports of Seattle or Tacoma, about 100 miles to the south. But here is where the bulk of Alaska-caught seafood lands in the Lower 48 and tens of thousands of people depart each year for a three-night voyage to the Last Frontier.

PORT SERVES ALASKA

The Port of Bellingham is best known to Alaskans as the Lower 48 terminal of the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry System (AMHS). Since 1963, the vehicle and passenger ferries have arrived and departed from there at least once a week to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and Southeast Alaska. Annually, more than 30,000 passengers and 10,000 vehicles travel in and out of the Port of Bellingham on the Alaska ferry, according to Port of Bellingham Executive Director Jim Darling.

"Travel has remained steady and consistent over the years," he said.

Darling said the ferry is the primary avenue of travel for a large percentage of the military personnel and families stationed in Alaska because of the ability to transport vehicles and a large amount of belongings without the effort of driving the Alaska Highway. The same goes for many Alaska residents arriving, leaving or returning to the state.

But Darling emphasizes that the ferry also allows businesses needing to transport not just people, but also vehicles and goods utilize the ferry when barge or container shipping isn't an option.

Alaska's continued strong reliance on the ferry system cements its relationship with the port and relies on constant communication and cooperation, Darling said. The Port of Bellingham Commission--consisting of three non-partisan elected commissioners--travels, usually twice a year, to Juneau to meet with legislators and often the governor's office. AMHS staff must also remain in close contact with Washington-based terminal staff at the port.

"We have a very strong working relationship," Darling said.

This year, that communication will include discussions between the port and the State about renewing the lease for the ferry terminal service. Darling said the port and the State expect few surprises in the renewal process and that the ferry service agreement should remain much the same.

"We anticipate everything will go smoothly," he said.

MORE THAN JUST A FERRY TERMINAL

Besides the ferry terminal, numerous other tenants and businesses at the Port of Bellingham...