Answers to your most recent questions:

Q: How will the Casino Resort affect area shops and restaurants?
A: The Casino 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.

Q: How will the Casino Resort affect other area businesses?
A: The fear is that the offerings of the Casino 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 Casino Resort's direct competition might be hurt, other local businesses most likely would benefit from the revenue generated by the Casino Resort. According to a study conducted through Governor's Office of Indian Affairs in 1997 1, tribal enterprises spent $865 million for supplies, equipment and services; they 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.

Q: How will the Casino Resort affect traffic flow on I-5 and surrounding roads?
A: Streets nearest the project will be affected by casino visitors. To help mitigate traffic, the Tribe will pay to improve the I-5 interchange at 319th Street and other surrounding roads. Casino 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 casino resort meets that goal while also providing family-wage jobs with full medical benefits and an influx of money into our local economy.

Q: Will the Casino Resort cause increased social problems such as addiction, bankruptcies, and white-collar crime?
A: 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 attractions2. The Cowlitz Tribe is committed to paying its own way for police and fire protection for the Casino 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 state and county programs to aid problem gamblers.

Q: Who would profit from the Casino Resort?
A: First and foremost, the Cowlitz Tribe will benefit from the profits generated at its casino resort and is charged with distribution of those profits to its members. Getting an enterprise like the Casino Resort up and running is a big job. That's why the Tribe signed a 7-year contract with the Salishan-Mohegan partnership. The contract says that during the start-up, the Cowlitz will get 76% of the revenues while the management agreement with the Salishan Mohegan is in place. After seven years, the Tribe can collect 100% of the revenues if it is prepared to manage the Casino Resort itself.

Q: How will the Casino Resort affect the Discovery Corridor envisioned by the Port of Ridgefield and others?
A: The Casino Resort will help jump-start the Discovery Corridor by bringing in infrastructure for the first time, which will make the area more appealing and economically viable to other businesses. Right now, the area doesn't have the sewers and other expensive infrastructure that is needed to attract businesses that would prefer to avoid such costs. Furthermore, Washington's tribal casinos are magnets for other businesses because they themselves require goods and services. For instance, the corridor north of Marysville, home to the Tulalip Casino, is one of the state's most vibrant economic corridors.

Q: How many jobs and what kind of salaries will the Casino Resort offer?
A: The Casino Resort will offer about 3,000 people the opportunity to support themselves and their families in a wide variety of positions from service to management. The average salary is estimated at $28,000 plus full benefits including medical. Don't forget that many Casino 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.

Q: Where will the Casino Resort find 3,000 employees?
A: The majority of our employees will come from the Portland metropolitan region. As most of you know, Clark County needs a larger job base. Last year, several hundred people stood in line in the rain hoping to get one of 200 available jobs at the Vancouver Hilton. 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 Clark County. The Casino Resort is proud to offer these opportunities.

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

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.

2 William Miller, PhD and Martin Schwartz, PhD. "Casino Gambling and Street Crime" Annals of the American Academy, March 1998," AAPSS, 556.

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Q: Shouldn’t the Cowlitz Tribe be in Cowlitz County?
A: The Cowlitz Tribe has existed in Clark and Cowlitz 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. Another example is the Cathapotle Village in Ridgefield and Fort Vancouver, where many Cowlitz lived and traded.

Q: What is the goal of the Tribe when it comes to the local community?
A: The Tribe believes the success of the casino 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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Q: What kinds of shops and restaurants will the Tribe host in its facility?
A: 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.

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

Q: Will there be any non-smoking areas at the Casino Resort?
A: Yes.

Q: Will there be activities for families and children?
A: There may be activities for children but that hasn't been decided yet.

Q: Will the Tribe sell fireworks on their property?
A: No.

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Q: How much traffic will the Cowlitz resort project generate and how will traffic impacts be mitigated?
A: According to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), the Cowlitz Casino Resort will generate approximately 13,600 weekday daily trips and 17,800 daily trips on Saturday at full build-out.

The Tribe is working with Clark County, WSDOT, and the city of La Center on improvements to the I-5 interchange to accommodate traffic and better serve the surrounding community. We will look at design alternatives that minimize traffic impacts on neighborhoods in the area. Also, the Tribe will make roadway and intersection improvements to maintain traffic Level of Service at existing levels for each project phase and ensure intersections do not operate below Level of Service D for intersection delay during peak traffic hours. The Tribe will contribute to the City of Ridgefield’s project to construct a roundabout at Pioneer Street/N 45th Avenue/NW 31st Avenue. There will be signals added to intersections at NW 319th Street/NW La Center Road and I-5 northbound and southbound ramps.

Q: 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 Casino Resort?
A: We can't comment about the amphitheater project, but we can say that we are undergoing a rigorous examination of the traffic impacts of the casino resort through the Environmental Impact Statement process. When we are done we will have a clear action plan to mitigate traffic impacts. For example, we have already committed to rebuilding the I-5 La Center interchange to accommodate more traffic. We welcome public review of the traffic study through the EIS process.

Q: Will the project have acres of parking lot?
A: 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.

Q: When the casino resort is built, how many people per day will come into Clark County who normally wouldn’t?
A: According to the DEIS, the Cowlitz Casino 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.

Q: What impacts will the casino resort have on the environment?
A: The Cowlitz Tribe is committed to responsible development of its property, which means among other things that the Tribe is committed to mitigating potential environmental impacts.  In other words, the Tribe is committed to taking all reasonable steps necessary to make sure that the impact of its development on the surrounding community is minimized. In its Final Environmental Impact Statement the Bureau of Indian Affairs will identify mitigation measures which it believes the Tribe should implement, and the Tribe has committed to implement those measures. A summary of the findings of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, including proposed mitigation measures, can be found here

Q: What types of mitigation will the Cowlitz perform to protect the environment and neighbors?
A: The Draft Environmental Impact Statement  provides recommendations for appropriate mitigation for the proposed project. The Tribe is absolutely committed implementing those mitigation measures and to working with its neighbors to cause the least amount of disruption in their lives and to their property.

Q: How big will the Cowlitz Casino Resort be?
A: We are not sure of the final design. But the EIS is studying the maximum possible build-out of our property. This includes:

• A casino of up to 134,150 sf
• Restaurants and retail stores up to 260,225 sf
• Convention and entertainment facilities up to 147,500 sf
• Tribal government offices, a tribal cultural center, and approximately 16 Tribal elder housing units units
• Parking structures for about 7,250 vehicles and an RV park for 200 recreational vehicles

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Q: How many construction jobs will be created by the development of the Cowlitz Resort?
A: Full build-out construction of the Cowlitz Casino Resort is expected to create 4,011 jobs with an average annual wage of $46,200 and a total annual payroll of $185.3 million.

Q: Once constructed, how many jobs will the resort provide?
A: When the property is fully developed, the entire facility including restaurant, casino, retail, and hotel could create thousands of jobs, depending on which development alternative is selected.

Q: How do I get a job with the Cowlitz Tribe?
A: 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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Q: What is the process by which the Cowlitz Tribe can obtain its own reservation?
A: The Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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.

Q: What can citizens do to have input on this development?
A: 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 in the Environmental Impact Study when it scoped out the general structure and content of what would be included in the Draft Environmental Impact Study.

Then, on April 14, 2006, the Bureau published a draft of the Environmental Impact Study so that members of the public could review and comment on it.  (The Bureau also had made an earlier version of the Draft Environmental Impact Study available to “cooperating agencies,” including the City of LaCenter and Clark County.)  Public comments were collected until the public comment period closed on August 25, 2006.  

Now, the Bureau is responding to the public comments received as part of the process of producing a Final version of the Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).  A draft of the FEIS also will be made available to the public for comment before it is finalized by the Bureau.

In addition to the many opportunities for comment pursuant to the EIS process, members of the public always are welcome to express their general views to the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding the Tribe’s fee-to-trust application/reservation request.

Finally, we would like to hear your comments as well. Many people have already sent us emails and responded to our mailers; we have read and considered each and every one. You can contact us by email at info@cowlitzcasino.com. However, comments sent directly to the Tribe are not considered by the BIA for the EIS unless they are also sent directly to the BIA.

Q: Is the Tribe going to work with the community?
A: 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.
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 has 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 mutually beneficial partnerships. Our intent is to be a pillar of the community that shares its success and enhances the surrounding businesses, the economic opportunity of the area, and its citizens.

Q: What about the City of La Center?
A: The Tribe is committed to being a good neighbor to the residents and neighbors of La Center. The Tribe submitted a draft agreement to mitigate impacts to the City on February 1, 2006. Although the City has not acted on the Tribe’s offer, the Tribe remains ready to negotiate an agreement with the City.

Q: La Center already has card rooms. Why do we need a resort that includes another gaming operation in town? Would the impacts be different?
A: The benefits would be different, and much larger. Our plan is to develop a first-class signature project that will bring vast opportunity not just to the people of La Center but to people living in Clark County and the surrounding area. This not just about a casino, but also about shopping, fine dining, shows, and entertainment for everyone.

Q: Why is there so much opposition to this development?
A: There has been opposition, 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.

Q: First the Cowlitz Tribe said they were not building a gaming facility, now they say they are, why the change in plans?
A: The property was first acquired because of its proximity to I-5, which made it just generally a good location for general development.  At the time of the acquisition, the Tribe had not yet been acknowledged by the federal government. Since that time, several changes have occurred which made it possible to propose a tribal resort on this site. The Tribe gained federal recognition, and the state gaming compact between the governor and Washington state tribes to allow video lottery terminals (slots) on tribal trust lands.

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Q: When I shop or eat at the Cowlitz resort,  will I pay taxes?
A: 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.

Q: Is the Cowlitz Tribe going to pay the same property and sales taxes to do business in Clark County as all other businesses?
A: 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 Clark 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 Clark County and the Tribe and it is fully enforceable in court.

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

Q: If the Cowlitz Tribe, as a sovereign nation, is exempt from paying the same taxes, why would they agree to do so?
A: The Cowlitz Tribe is committed to being a good neighbor to Clark 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.  

Q: Will the Cowlitz Tribe always pay the taxes or will it at some point decide it doesn’t want to pay them anymore?
A: 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 Clark 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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Q: Beyond reimbursement for taxes, what other benefits has the Tribe offered to the local community?
A: In the Memorandum of Understanding the Tribe signed with Clark County the Tribe has committed to contribute 2 percent of net revenues to an education and arts fund for the support of charitable activities in Clark County. The Tribe will also contribute at least $50,000 annually to a program designated by Clark County to address problem gambling.

Q: Have any other public entities made formal arrangements with the Tribe?
A: 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 Cowlitz Indian 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 Cowlitz 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 Casino 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.

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Q: Will the Cowlitz Casino compete with the new Vancouver Convention Center?
A: No. We believe our casino resort will complement the Vancouver Convention Center by providing another destination attractive to Clark County visitors. Bringing together our resort facility, the Vancouver Convention Center, and other regional amenities, we will be able to attract groups and events of various sizes to Clark and Cowlitz counties.

Q: How will the Tribe work with the Conference Center in Vancouver and the fairgrounds to ensure its long-term stability and success?
A: The Tribe’s goal is not to compete with, but rather to complement, existing conference space. The Tribe wishes to work with City of Vancouver and Fair officials to formalize a strategic relationship that will benefit all our businesses. From cross-marketing, to jointly hosting major events, we look forward to working together to bring tourists and new visitors to Clark County.

Q: Isn’t it true that the Cowlitz Casino will be able to undercut the convention center or any other similar venues in Vancouver – like hotels – in cost?
A: Our commitment is to work together with other businesses. Indeed, we think it is not in either our or the greater business community’s best interests for the Tribe 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.

Q: Won't the Cowlitz Casino 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?
A: No. 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.

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

Q: Is it true that tribal casinos are regulated far more than non-tribal cardrooms?
A: 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.

Q: Isn’t gambling a dangerous addiction?
A: The Cowlitz 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 Clark 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.

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Last updated 2-26-2007
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