BIA predicts Cowlitz casino decision by December

Monday, August 11, 2008  

A decision on the casino sought by the Cowlitz Tribe of Washington won't be ready until December at the earliest, a Bureau of Indian Affairsofficial said.

The BIA issued a final environmental impact statement in June. Public comments are being accepted until the close of business today.

The final EIS recommends taking 152 acres in trust for the tribe for a casino resort.and other uses. Opponents call the document biased and want a new study prepared, something the BIA says it won't be doing.

“If a lot more work needs to be done, that process will have to be supplemented and done. To say we’re going to just quit the whole thing, that cannot be done," BIA regional director Stan Speaks told The Longview Daily News.

The tribe gained federal recognition through the BIA's regulatory process.

Get the Story:
Casino foes call for new FEIS as BIA, tribe defend process (The Longview Daily News 8/10)