Answers to your most recent questions

About the Tribe

Shouldn’t the Cowlitz Tribe be in Cowlitz County?

The Tribe has existed in Clark, Cowlitz, and Lewis Counties since time immemorial, thousands of years before county lines were established. Evidence of our ancestral heritage includes the town of Battle Ground, where Cowlitz Chief Umtux was killed. The County name has no bearing on where the Tribe belongs and in fact Clark County once encompassed all of Cowlitz County as well. Another example is the Cathapotle Village in Ridgefield and Fort Vancouver, where many Cowlitz lived and traded.

What is the goal of the Tribe when it comes to the local community?

The Tribe believes the success of the Cowlitz Resort depends on the successful relationships formed with the local community. To that end, we want to ensure our neighbors and community partners feel a sense of ownership and pride in the project while also sharing in the benefits and opportunities.

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Project

When will the project break ground?

As of January of 2009, all of the requried documentation was submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where it has been undergoing agency review for Land Into Trust status. A positive finding on the application will drive the timeline for taking the Land Into Trust and moving ahead on the project.

How big will the Cowlitz Resort be?

We are not sure of the final design. But the EIS is studying the full build-out of our property.
This includes:

• Casino of up to 134,150 square feet (sq)
• Restaurants and retail stores of up to 260,225 sf
• Convention and entertainment facilities up to 147,500 sf
• Hotel with 250 rooms
• Tribal government offices, a tribal cultural center, and approximately 16 Tribal elder housing units
• Parking structures for about 7,250 vehicles
• RV park for 200 recreational vehicles

Who would profit from the Cowlitz Resort?

First and foremost, the Cowlitz Tribe will benefit from the profits generated at its resort and will use the profits to support programs for its members. Benefits to tribal members will range from help with housing and health care to college scholarships. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe looks forward being able to provide needed benefits to its members, especially its elders and Cowlitz youth.

Getting an enterprise like the Cowlitz Resort up and running is a big job. That's why the Tribe signed a contract with the Salishan-Mohegan partnership to develop the project, as well as a contract to have them manage the project for its first 7 years. In exchange for Salishan-Mohegan’s help getting the Cowlitz Resort up and running, the Tribe will pay Salishan Mohegan 24% of the net revenue generated by the resort during the first seven years of its operation.  This fee is well below the 30% maximum management fee allowed under federal law.   

What kinds of shops and restaurants will the Tribe host in its facility?

The Tribe intends to lease space in the facility to specialty restaurants and retail, many of which may not yet exist in the Vancouver/Portland area. While we have not formalized any agreements, we’d like to host well-known franchises like The Cheesecake Factory and Johnny Rockets. By welcoming popular restaurants and shops we hope to stimulate the local economy and draw tourists and jobs here in Clark County.

Is this going to be a first-class project, or will it look like other casinos I’ve seen in Washington?

We are planning a signature project which will draw people from all over the world and of which the community will be proud. We expect our casino and resort to bring people into our county to spend their money rather than pass through on their way to Oregon. It will be built to the highest standards with a keen eye to aesthetics and to provide our customers with quality enjoyable entertainment.

What types of mitigation will the Cowlitz perform to protect the environment and neighbors?

The Tribe is committed to responsible development of its property, which includes mitigating potential environmental impacts.

The FEIS recommends appropriate mitigation for the proposed project. The Tribe is committed to working with its neighbors to cause the least amount of disruption in their lives and to their property. The Tribe has also committed to a number of mitigation measures in its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Clark County and its tribal ordinances.

In other words, the Tribe is committed to taking all reasonable steps to make sure that the impact of its development on the surrounding community is minimized. The Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) can be found here.

Will there be any non-smoking areas at the Cowlitz Resort?

Yes.

Will there be activities for families and children?

There may be activities for children but that hasn't been decided yet.

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Traffic

How will the Cowlitz Resort affect traffic flow on I-5 and surrounding roads?

Streets nearest the project will be affected by resort visitors. To help mitigate traffic, the Tribe will pay to improve the I-5 interchange at 319th Street and other surrounding roads. Cowlitz Resort visitors will arrive throughout the day and evening, not just during rush hour, so traffic will not be concentrated at certain times. Attracting visitors from the metropolitan region is a longtime economic goal for our area and the Cowlitz Resort meets that goal while also providing family-wage jobs with full medical benefits as well as an influx of money into our local economy.

How much traffic will the Cowlitz Resort project generate and how will traffic impacts be mitigated?

According to the FEIS, the Cowlitz Resort is expected to generate approximately 16,714 weekday daily trips and 19,754 daily trips on Saturday over a 24 hour period at full build-out.

The Tribe will encourage carpooling and bus use on event nights. Shuttles running from points in west and east Vancouver (and potentially a site or two in Portland), will help reduce traffic impacts, including key segments of I-5 and I-205.

The Tribe is working with Clark County and WSDOT on improvements to the I-5 and La Center interchange to accommodate traffic and better serve the surrounding community. We will implement design alternatives that minimize traffic impacts on neighborhoods in the area.

People were concerned about the traffic impacts of the amphitheater, which were greater than expected. How can we be sure the same won't happen with the Cowlitz Resort?

We are not in a position to comment about the amphitheater project, but we can say that the traffic impacts of the Cowlitz Resort have undergone a rigorous examination through the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.  The Tribe is committed to addressing traffic and safety issues including improvements to on/off ramps and County roads near the site.

Will the project have acres of parking lot?

No. We are planning first-class facilities, in terms of amenities and appearance. This includes parking structures for customers and employees. Surface parking lots will be minimal in comparison.

When the Cowlitz Resort is built, how many people per day will come into Clark County who normally wouldn’t?

According to the FEIS, the Cowlitz Resort would attract visitors proportionate to the general population densities of Cowlitz, Clark and Skamania counties in Washington as well as the greater Portland metropolitan region in Oregon. The Tribe is committed to marketing jointly with other local businesses to make sure that everyone benefits when people visit Clark County to enjoy the Cowlitz Resort.

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Jobs

How many construction jobs will be created by the development of the Cowlitz Resort?

Full build-out of the Cowlitz Resort is expected to create 4,011 construction jobs with an average annual wage of $46,200 and a total annual payroll of $185.3 million.

Once constructed, how many jobs will the Cowlitz Resort provide?

There will be around 3,000 positions in the Cowlitz Resort ranging from hourly workers to managerial fields like accounting and human resources. The average salary is estimated at $28,000. Most, if not all, will include full benefits.  We’re proud of the employment packages we will offer and have already received hundreds of inquiries about jobs. 

Don't forget that many Cowlitz Resort employees will receive generous tips on top of their base salary and benefits. For example, card dealers near Everett who were paid a modest wage earned more than $42,000 per year when tips were included.

Where will the Cowlitz Resort find 3,000 employees?

The majority of our employees will come from the Portland metropolitan region. As most of you know, Clark County needs a larger job base. As of November 2008 the unemployment rate was 8.2%.
Giving people the chance to work at a job with benefits so they can support themselves and their families is a worthwhile goal that is consistent with the long-term economic health of the County. The Cowlitz Resort is proud to offer these opportunities.

Aren't leisure and hospitality workers in demand in Southwest Washington? How will you find enough qualified, willing workers?

If this is true, it means that we will have to offer competitive wages and benefits to our future leisure and hospitality employees. We are already planning to do that. We also plan to offer positions in technical support, accounting, management, and other administrative functions.

How do I get a job with the Cowlitz Tribe?

There will be ample opportunity. We first recommend that you register for our email list so you can be updated on the progress of the project. We have had numerous inquiries about employment, and we are excited about the prospect of welcoming so many Tribal members and others from the community to our team. When we draw closer to completion, the Tribe will post hiring notices and host a job fair that people who are interested in being employed at our facility can attend, provide their resumes, and identify job opportunities that could be a good fit for them and us.

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Process

What is the process by which the Cowlitz Tribe can obtain its own reservation?

The Tribe is, and for a long time has been, a Tribe that owns no trust land at all. The federal government provides no land acquisition assistance to tribes, so the Tribe must acquire land on  its own and then petition the Department of the Interior to placed that land in trust through the “fee to trust” application process.

The Tribe must also request that Interior designate the trust land as the Tribe’s reservation. Only after the fee-to-trust and reservation proclamation processes are finished will the Cowlitz Indian Tribe be treated equally with other federally recognized tribes in Washington state, and only then will the Tribe have an established a land base upon which it can create economic opportunities that will provide benefits for Tribal members and surrounding communities. The processes generally take years to complete.

What can citizens do to have input on this development?

As part of the EIS process, the Bureau of Indian Affairs hosted a scoping meeting in which citizens were encouraged to provide their input on the scope of the environmental study (meaning, the public was asked to comment on what issues should be studied). The Bureau considered the public’s comments on what should and should not be studied when it scoped out the general structure and content of what would be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS).
Then, on April 14, 2006, the Bureau published a draft of the EIS so that members of the public could review and comment on it. Public comments were collected until the public comment period closed on August 25, 2006, and then they were incorporated and addressed in the FEIS.  
The FEIS was released by the Bureau on May 30, 2008. The next step in the process is for Interior to consider all of the information and make a decision on whether to take the land into trust for the Tribe.
In addition to the many opportunities for comment that were part of the EIS process, members of the public are welcome to express their views to the Bureau regarding the Tribe’s fee-to-trust application and reservation request.
We want to hear your comments as well. Many people have already sent us e-mails and responded to our mailers; we have read and considered each and every one. You can contact us by e-mail at info@cowlitzcasino.com.

What findings came out of the FEIS?

The project is expected to have numerous beneficial economic impacts and minimal environmental impacts because the Tribe will mitigate virtually all impacts to levels below significance.
Through both the MOU and Tribal ordinances, the Tribe has committed to:

• Make payments in lieu of property taxes to Clark County and local taxing districts.
• Collect and remit state sales tax as appropriate on all retail sales to non-Indians at businesses on the site owned and operated by the Tribe.
• Compensate law enforcement, prosecuting attorneys, courts, and fire districts that provide services to the property.
• Address traffic and safety issues in a manner consistent with Clark County requirements.
• Develop the site consistent with specified County environmental and development standards such as road standards, building codes, fire codes, and stormwater and erosion control standards.
• Comply with all state and local health regulations.
• Contribute annually 2% of net gaming revenues for arts and education fund.
• Contribute at least $50,000 annually to local programs for problem gambling.

How will the legal challenges to the County/Tribal MOU endanger the enforceability mitigation measures?

The legal challenges to the 2004 MOU between the Tribe and the County  will not endanger the enforcibility of the mitigation measures, because the Tribe has adopted new Tribal ordinances which replicate the mitigations measures from the MOU and allow both Clark County and the federal government to enforce these Tribal obligations. These ordinances have been approved by the federal government and have the support of Clark County. 

By adopting these two ordinances, the Tribe has ensured that the citizens of the County will be protected by the same mitigation measures – the same environment, health and safety provisions – as are embodied in the embattled MOU, and that those same provisions will remain in place regardless of the outcome of the MOU litigation. By adopting these ordinances, the Tribe stands by its commitment to the people of the County to be a good neighbor and to protect the health, safety, and environment of our community.

Why is there so much opposition to this development?

There has been opposition by well funded opponents, but there is also a great deal of support and we are grateful for that. We had over 2,000 responses to our initial mailer and over 64 percent were supportive of our efforts

That said, there a lot of misinformation continues to be disseminated by our opponents, primarily by other gaming interests that wish to maintain a monopoly on the gaming market. We encourage people to refer to the agencies of the federal government charged with overseeing this process, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Department of the Interior. We’re committed to an open and fair process and are confident the truth about our Tribe and this process will continue to be revealed in the coming weeks and months.

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Taxes/Fairness

When I shop or eat at the Cowlitz Resort, will I pay taxes?

Yes. You will pay the same amount of sales tax as you would if shopping or eating at businesses that are off Tribal lands. Those sales taxes will be remitted to the State of Washington exactly the same way other businesses are required to submit them.

Is the Cowlitz Tribe going to pay the same property and sales taxes to do business in Clark County as all other businesses?

As a sovereign nation, it is illegal for the County to tax the Tribe. However, on Mary 2, 2004 the Tribe signed a Memorandum of Understanding (or “MOU”) with the County in which the Tribe it voluntarily agreed to compensate the County and local districts by making payments in lieu of property taxes to make the local districts whole for revenue lost from the placement of the land onto a reservation for the Tribe. The Tribe will also pay all fees and mitigation costs of its development, and will also collect and remit sales tax to the state of Washington on all non-Indian sales which take place on the land in all the businesses owned and operated by the Tribe. The MOU is essentially a contract between the County and the Tribe and it is fully enforceable in court.

Taken as a whole, the package of payments that the County negotiated with the Tribe is very favorable to the local community. The Tribe has agreed to make greater payments in support of the local community than has any other tribe in the state.

If the Cowlitz Tribe, as a sovereign nation, is exempt from paying the same taxes, why would they agree to do so?

The Tribe is committed to being a good neighbor to the County. As part of that commitment, we wish to ensure that the tribal businesses associated with the Cowlitz resort contribute the same revenue to the County and local jurisdictions as they would pay if there were non-Indian owned.  

Will the Cowlitz Tribe always pay the taxes or will it at some point decide it doesn’t want to pay them anymore?

As long as the Cowlitz Indian Tribe operates a gaming facility on the property, it will make payments in lieu of taxes. As stated in the MOU with the County, the Tribe will compensate the County in lieu of property taxes for revenue lost resulting from the placement of the land into trust for the Tribe. We will also pay all fees and mitigation costs of development. There is no time limit on this agreement.

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Community

What are you going to do for us in the community?

Our commitment is to be a good neighbor and to be a positive amenity to the area.  In summary, we plan to:

• Pay our fair share to compensate for taxes and fees.
• Pay our fair share for law enforcement and public safety.
• Pay to upgrade transportation infrastructure to support our project and local neighborhoods.
• Pay into a fund for treatment of those with gaming problems.
• Pay into a fund for arts and education projects for Clark County students.
• Provide 3,000 ongoing jobs with benefits and 4,000 family-wage jobs during construction.
• Continue to work with our neighbors and local governments and non-government organizations to ensure that by working together Clark County continues to be a place where people want to live and do business.

Beyond reimbursement for taxes, what other benefits has the Tribe offered to the local community?

In 2004, the Tribe and the County entered into an MOU, which contained a number of provisions in addition to tax reimbursement.  In the MOU, the Tribe has committed to contribute 2% of net revenues to an education and arts fund for the support of charitable activities in the County. The Tribe will also contribute at least $50,000 annually to a program designated by the County to address problem gambling. This is in addition to reimbursement for any law enforcement, fire and emergency services, and court and prosecution services that the County provides, as well as mitigating of transportation and safety impacts.

Have any other public entities made formal arrangements with the Tribe?

Yes. Three examples come to mind.
First, In a partnership developed with the Ridgefield School District, the Tribe agreed to pay school impact fees if they construct residential housing within the district and the residents might attend local schools. Furthermore, the Tribe will be working with Ridgefield Schools to provide cultural education programs and materials for students to describe the history of our Tribe and other tribes in the area.

Second, Clark College and the Tribe have adopted a Memorandum of Understanding to provide training for employees of the proposed Cowlitz Resort. Under the agreement, Clark College will provide skills development for a range of occupations including casino management, computer specialist, security guard, and fitness trainer. The College will also offer training in such areas as customer service, leadership, and supervision. Degree programs in specific fields also will be developed.

Third, the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Tribe have agreed that the Tribe will pay a per-bed fee to enhance promotion of the local tourism and convention industry. The fee, $2 per bed per night occupied at the Tribe’s proposed resort, would be paid to the Convention and Visitors Bureau to help promote facilities operated by the Tribe as well as by other lodging, convention, and tourism operations.
Other agreements are in the process of being developed.

Is the Tribe going to work with the community?

Absolutely. The Tribe has had active discussions with the cities of Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, and Woodland, and with Clark and Cowlitz counties. The Tribe is working to form strategic relationships with all these local governments in a government to government relationship as prescribed by state and federal policy. Further, our goal is to ensure that when people come to our resort, that we act as an ambassador to the surrounding community. Indeed, the Tribe understands that it is in our best interest to ensure that resort customers are aware of all of the amenities Clark County and the greater region have to offer. Enhancing the area’s tourist base is in all of our best interests. Towards that end the Tribe has been meeting with chambers of commerce and visitor and convention bureaus.

We look forward to working with our neighbors and community to develop collaborative mutually beneficial partnerships. Our intent is to be a community member and share our success and enhance the surrounding businesses and the economic opportunity of the area and its citizens.

What about the City of La Center?

The Tribe is committed to being a good neighbor to the residents and neighbors of La Center and is ready to start formal negotiations with the City when it comes to the table. The Tribe submitted a draft agreement MOU to mitigate impacts on February 1, 2006. Although the City never responded, the Tribe recently passed Tribal Ordinance 08-01 that formally renews the Tribe’s offer to reach a mutual agreement with the City by July 14, 2009, commensurate with the mitigation offered in the proposed 2006 MOU.

La Center already has card rooms. Why do we need a resort that includes another gaming operation in town? Would the impacts be different?

The benefits would be different; and much greater.  Our plan is to develop a first-class signature project that will bring much more variety and opportunity -- not just to the people of La Center --but to people living in Clark County and the surrounding area. The planned development would include shopping, fine dining, shows, and entertainment for everyone.

Furthermore, revenue from the project will be used to provide social and governmental services to the Cowlitz people.  Indian gaming facilities are like state lotteries – they are mechanisms to generate revenue to help fund government programs.

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Competition

How will the Cowlitz Resort affect area shops and restaurants?

The Cowlitz Resort will draw thousands of new visitors from throughout the metropolitan region who normally shop south of the Columbia River. The promise of top-quality entertainment, fine dining, and exciting shopping opportunities will bring these customers to Clark County. The Tribe is committed to marketing jointly with other local businesses to make sure that everyone can benefit.

How will the Cowlitz Resort affect other area businesses?

The fear is that the offerings of the Cowlitz Resort will be more desirable to the consumer than those of some locally owned businesses, and that those businesses will languish and close. While it is true that the Cowlitz Resort's direct competition might be hurt, other local businesses most likely would benefit from the revenue generated by the Cowlitz Resort and the overall promotion of tourism. According to a study conducted through Governor's Office of Indian Affairs in 1997, tribal enterprises spent $865 million for supplies, equipment and services; paid $51.3 million in federal employment/payroll-related taxes and $5.3 million in state employment/payroll-related taxes; and contributed $1 billion to the state's overall economy. 1
1 Veronica E. Tiller and Robert A. Chase, "Economic Contributions of Indian Tribes to the Economy of Washington State," 1997. Accessed at http://www.goia.wa.gov/images/pdf/iacbook.pdf.

Will the Cowlitz Resort compete with the Vancouver Convention Center?

We believe our resort will complement the Vancouver Convention Center by providing another destination attractive to County visitors. Bringing together our resort facility, the Vancouver Convention Center, and other regional amenities in a collaborative manner, we will be able to attract groups and events of various sizes to Clark and Cowlitz counties.

Isn’t it true that the Cowlitz Resort will be able to undercut the convention center or any other similar venues in Vancouver – like hotels – in cost?

Our commitment is to work together with other businesses. Indeed, we think it is not in the best interest of the Tribe or the greater business community to have an isolationist approach to business development.
One of the things the Tribe has done to ensure that we are a part of, and not separate from the greater business community is to agree to make payments to the County that match the hotel/motel tax paid by all other non-tribal lodging facilities in the county. This revenue will be used to promote tourism on a county-wide basis.

Won't the Cowlitz Resort take business and customers away from small businesses and family-owned enterprise in neighboring towns? Will it expand into large-scale retail development the way the Tulalip Casino has?

The land the Tribe intends to place into trust will be for an entertainment and gaming venue that will host specialty retail shops and restaurants.

Our signature project will be unlike any other and will enhance the business development of surrounding areas by attracting visitors to the local community.

The land the Tribe places in trust will be its reservation, and will include Tribal government offices, elder housing, and a cultural center as well.

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Gambling

Will the Cowlitz Resort cause increased social problems such as addiction, bankruptcies, and white-collar crime?

There are conflicting reports from across the country on whether gaming operations cause increased social problems. According to Ohio University criminologists, the incidence of crime near casinos has not been demonstrated to be different than at other tourist attractions. 2 The Tribe is committed to paying its own way for police and fire protection for the Cowlitz Resort and to using top-of-the-line security systems within and around its facility to protect guests and neighbors. The Tribe also acknowledges the tragedy of problem gaming and has agreed to contribute to programs to aid problem gamblers.
2 William Miller, PhD and Martin Schwartz, PhD. "Casino Gambling and Street Crime," Annals of the American Academy, March 1998," AAPSS, 556.

Why does the Tribe have to offer gambling? Can’t it just offer an entertainment venue and resort?

Many of the tribes in Washington State and across the Country use casinos and gaming operations as a driver for other economic development opportunities and to provide support for their tribal members. Benefits to tribal members range from help with housing and health care to college scholarships. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe feels fortunate to be able to provide benefits to its members, especially its elders and Cowlitz youth.

In addition, gaming revenue provides desperately needed seed money that allows tribal governments to diversify their economies so that tribal governments can eventually rely on other sources of income besides gaming revenue. These benefits will sustain its health and ancestry as a tribe while also ensuring the preservation of a vibrant Tribal community. Gaming helps to fund these efforts. The Cowlitz Resort will also offer world-class entertainment, fine dining and other amenities that will make it a great place to visit for all people, not just for people who enjoy gaming.

Is it true that tribal casinos are regulated far more than non-tribal cardrooms?

Yes. Tribal casinos are the most highly regulated of all casinos. They are regulated by the Tribal Gaming Agency, the State of Washington Gambling Commission, and the federal National Indian Gaming Commission.

Isn’t gambling a dangerous addiction?

The Tribe has recognized the importance of establishing support systems for people who have problems associated with compulsive behavior, including compulsive gambling. In the MOU the Tribe signed with the County, the Tribe committed to make an annual contribution of at least $50,000 to a program designated by County officials to help compulsive gamblers.