he Cowlitz Tribe is a landless tribe that is going through a "fee to trust" process with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). When finished, the tribe will have established a land base upon which it can create economic opportunities that will provide benefits for Tribal Members and the surrounding communities.

Environmental Impact Statement

The Cowlitz Tribe has asked the BIA to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project. The EIS — which includes a public involvement process — examines various issues such as land, water, living, and cultural resources; air quality; socioeconomic conditions; traffic and transportation; land use; public utilities and services; noise; lighting; hazardous materials; environmental justice; and visual resources/aesthetics. The BIA will act as lead agency and has appointed an independent third-party contractor to prepare the EIS.

We believe it is important for our neighbors to know that we're going to take a hard look at the environmental and other impacts of the various development options. The EIS will provide recommendations for appropriate mitigation for the proposed project.

A scoping meeting to identify issues to be studied as part of the EIS was held in December 2004. The purpose of such a hearing was to provide public participation in scoping for the EIS by soliciting comments on the significant environmental issues and alternatives to be analyzed. Scoping is the process by which the federal lead agency, in this case the BIA, develops a plan for the EIS.

That plan — called a Scoping Report or Results of Scoping — was released by the BIA in February 2005. This report describes the environmental, economic, and other issues to be explored in the EIS. It also identifies which governmental agencies will participate in the EIS as cooperating agencies and provides a tentative schedule for the EIS.

Process for Completion of
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

On April 14, 2006 the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released, initiating a 90-day public comment period. The BIA then reopened the comment period and extended it for 45 days, until August 25, 2006 . Two public hearings were held on Wednesday and Thursday, June 14 and 15, at 6 p.m. in the Skyview High School auditorium.

After close of the comment period, a Final EIS will be released which responds to all substantive comments received on the DEIS. These documents and other parts of a decision package will then be forwarded to Washington, D.C. for decisions on the part of the Assistant Secretary — Indian Affairs and the Chairman of the National Indian Gaming Commission.

Working with Communities

The Tribe has had active discussions with the cities of Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, La Center, Woodland, and Clark and Cowlitz counties. We are working to form strategic relationships with all these communities; when people come to our casino resort, we will refer them to other parts of the community and enhance the tourism experience for people visiting and people doing business in the local region. We've also been meeting with Chambers of Commerce, visitor and convention bureaus, and service providers such as schools and fire, water and sewer providers.

As we go forward, we will develop a more detailed description of the project and a plan for how we will address impacts. We look forward to working with our neighbors and community to develop mutually beneficial partnerships.