A public hearing recently was held regarding an Environmental Impact Statement for the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians’ proposed off-reservation 0 million casino in Muskegon County, Michigan. The tribe applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in February to take into trust 60 acres at the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack in Fruitport Township, about 80 miles from the tribe’s reservation.
The well-attended meeting, conducted by the BIA, lasted two and a half hours. Tribal Ogema Larry Romanelli said many of the speakers made positive reference to the tribe’s existing casino in Manistee. “For me, it went better than I even expected,” he said.
However, James Nye, spokesman for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, noted gaining all the necessary approvals for a casino could take up to 10 years. “Certainly I am opposed to this project as a representative for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribe, and the Saginaw Chippewas is against off-reservation gaming, which is exactly what this project is. They’ve got a long, long way to go, just to get a yes or no from the federal government,” Nye said.
The Saginaws, located 100 miles from Muskegon, own the Saganing Eagles Landing and Soaring Eagle Casino and have opposed new casinos in the state since they opened their first gambling operation more than 20 years ago, said attorney Thomas J. St. Dennis, head of a Manistee law firm that deals with Indian legal matters. St. Dennis added the Saginaws have said they will do everything they can to prevent a Muskegon casino.
Still, the casino project, which would create 1,200 new jobs, has tremendous support among local officials. The tribe noted the casino would attract 1.88 million visitors annually and generate new funding for local and state government. Plans call for a facility with 69,000 square-feet of gaming floor space, 1,700 slot machines, 35 table games, a 220-room hotel, conference and meeting room space, and dining and entertainment options.
Once the Environmental Impact Statement draft is completed, reviewed and approved, the next step would be to prepare a scoping report, which could take up to 90 days to complete. The document will be followed by a draft EIS, additional public comment and a final EIS. Then the BIA would issue a record of decision. Ultimately the project would need the approval of Governor Rick Snyder, who, in 2013, rejected a proposed off-reservation casino for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
