A regional interdependencies tabletop exercise held June 12, 2002 in Welches, OR. The exercise focused on the linkages between and among infrastructures that could make the Pacific Northwest vulnerable to cascading impacts in the event of an attack or disruption, and which could complicate expeditious response and recovery. Critical infrastructures participating in the exercise included energy (electric power, oil, and natural gas), telecommunications, transportation, water supply systems, banking and finance, emergency services, and government services. Federal, state/provincial, and local government agencies, including emergency management organizations, were also well-represented. BLUE CASCADES was expressly designed to help stakeholders assess the current state of their understanding and preparedness, particularly from the perspective of infrastructure interdependencies. It also was aimed at identifying their needs, priorities, and resource requirements for incorporation into an Action Plan to assist the eight jurisdictions within PNWER to become a disaster-resistant/resilient region. (PNWER, Blue Cascades Infrastructure Interdependencies Tabletop, 2002, p. 1, Executive Summary)