The Department of Interior recently announced it will take into trust nearly 152 acres of land designated for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s proposed Cowlitz Casino Resort near the I-5 junction in La Center, Washington.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Sam Hirsch informed the tribe the land will be acquired “no sooner than the earlier of January 21, 2015, or thirty days after a Court order granting summary judgment of favor of Defendants,’’ referring to a case that has been stalled in federal court for years.
Cowlitz Tribe Chairman William Iyall said, “This is a significant moment in Cowlitz history. Tribal members have been penalized the most during this whole process. If we get the land into trust it will mean a lot for the Tribe. Maybe we won’t have the go ahead for the casino, but we will have our land. We have pressed on for 12 years in an effort to fully service tribal members with services and programs only available on trust land, providing our people with the same opportunities as other federally recognized tribes.”
In December 2010 the Bureau of Indian Affairs issued a Record of Decision that it would take the land into trust. But operators of the existing card rooms in La Center, Clark County, the city of Vancouver appealed that decision. John Bockmier, a Vancouver-based consultant who represents the owners and operators of the La Center cardrooms, said the various parties involved in the appeal most likely will file a preliminary injunction seeking to prevent the land from going into trust until the federal case is resolved.
“Absolutely, we’re going to respond, if necessary, to protect the interests that we’ve put into this,’’ Bockmier said. Any ruling in the federal case probably would be appealed further, possibly ending up at the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Cowlitz Casino Resort would offer a 134,150 square foot casino, 260,225 square feet of dining and retail space, a 250-room hotel, 147,500 square feet of convention and entertainment facilities, a 7,250-vehicle parking structure and RV park.
