"From the ashes of casino coalition's past, a new group in Sullivan County has risen to sell the benefits of a St. Regis Mohawk casino in Monticello.

But the founders of The Future of the Catskills Coalition say that, unlike the old Catskill Casino Coalition, they won't do much lobbying for the $600 million casino.

"Our plans are to go to local community groups, events, anywhere they give us a soap box on how the area can benefit," said co-chair Steven Vegliante, development manager at Brookside Homes Inc.

The group's Web page: www.futureofthecatskills.com.

The casino's prospects have hit a wall, though. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who opposes off-reservation casinos, still must agree to take land into trust. And a coalition of opponents led by the Natural Resources Defense Council also has filed a federal suit against the Interior Department, attempting to force a more in-depth environmental review."

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Catskill Confidential: New coalition sets out to extol casino’s virtues (The Middletown Times Herald-Record 5/30)