WASHINGTON D.C. – June 19, 2007 — As western issues increasingly take center stage politically and economically, three of the West’s most prominent public policy, communications and governmental relations firms – The Gallatin Group, R&R Partners and Phase Line Strategies, have announced that they are joining forces as WestNet Alliance. The WestNet Alliance is a bipartisan team of government and public affairs professionals that literally and figuratively covers the West. With established offices in 10 western states and a recently opened Washington D.C. office, WestNet has the reach and relationships to manage major public policy issues across the West.

“The West is facing a wide range of issues that impact the entire country,” said Mike Pieper, deputy director of R&R Partners and spokesperson for the WestNet Alliance, “from immigration and public lands management to energy development and natural resource conservation. This new entity offers clients an even broader reach across this all-important region and it opens up vast opportunities for companies that may be struggling in their attempts to do business here.”

Western resources such as oil-and-gas drilling, timber, water, increased western tourism, aquaculture/fi sheries, mining and alternative-energy development are but a few of the diverse and complex industries in the WestNet portfolio. Each partner in the WestNet Alliance has a long record of success in western advocacy, policy development, political consulting, ballot initiative development and lobbying, brand development, public relations and campaign development.

The WestNet Alliance specializes in public policy advocacy across the western United States. Comprising three of the west’s most successful government affairs firms — R&R Partners, The Gallatin Group and Phase Line Strategies — the principals have logged positive outcomes for a wide range of clients including Wal-Mart, Western Union, Plum Creek, CH2MHill, The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Nevada Power, EIG, The Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, Shell Oil, The Nevada Resort Association and on behalf of such public concerns as timber, land management, energy production and aquaculture issues. The group offers clients a wide range of services including bi-partisan coalition-building, policy management, political consulting, ballot initiatives support and lobbying, brand development, public relations and campaign messaging.