The Nez Perce Tribe recently closed on the purchase of a 358-acre tract adjacent to its Clearwater River Casino & Lodge in Lewiston, Idaho. No price was disclosed.
The acreage includes agricultural, range and some development land. Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Chairman Samuel Penney said, “The completion of this purchase will allow us to continue moving forward in our economic growth and provide opportunities for possible future development that will complement our existing enterprises.”
Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Land Enterprise Commission Chair Shannon Wheeler added, “This purchase is exciting for many reasons, one being the location and cultural aspects of this property but also the positive impact this will bring to the surrounding region. The tribe looks forward to sharing development plans in the near future.”
Clean-up of the land will start immediately, Wheeler said, as well as an archaeological survey. Some of the land will be used for an upgrade of a highway interchange which will provide safer and more efficient transportation in the area, officials said.
In the past three years, the Nez Perce Tribe has purchased the 114-acre site of the former Blue North Mill in Kamiah; the Riverside Sport Shop near Orofino, which observers said could become a casino; the Clarkston Golf and Country Club, renamed the Red Wolf Golf Club; the 34-acre Zims Hot Springs near New Meadows, including a 4,000-square-foot lodge and RV parking; and 148 acres in Joseph, Oregon.
