"Is a Spokane tribal casino worth the risk of Fairchild Air Force Base closing? Putting aside all other issues, such as the creation of new jobs at a casino, ancestral lands on the West Plains, or financial benefits to Spokane County and Airway Heights, the big issue is: Will the casino be an encroachment on the base?

Encroachment is defined by the U.S. Department of Defense as the cumulative result of any and all outside influences that inhibit normal military training and testing. Land use that can have negative impacts on community safety, economic development, and sustaining military activities and readiness is called encroachment. It doesn’t require that specific criteria affecting flights must be violated.

Air Force land-use recommendations are contained in Air Installation Compatibility Use Zone (AICUZ) reports prepared by the Air Force. It recommends zoning processes, land uses and other criteria designed to promote compatible development around military airfields. The Air Force relies on local authorities to implement planning practices that incorporate these protections. In the case of the casino, the land is not in the planning jurisdiction of Spokane County or Airway Heights. The normal process of approving/disapproving the proposed land use does not exist."

Get the Story:
Fred Zitterkopf: Don’t risk loss of Fairchild (The Spokesman Review 12/3)

Another Opinion:
Melinda E. Travis: Stop gambling expansion (The Spokesman Review 12/3)

Related Stories:
KPLU: Spokane Tribe makes its case for off-reservation gaming (12/2)
Paper publishes large number of anti-Spokane casino letters (12/1)
Spokane Tribe seeks equal footing with off-reservation casino (11/29)
Spokane Tribe blasts opposition to off-reservation casino plans (11/17)
Letter: Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino all about greed (11/11)
Spokane Tribe starts project at off-reservation casino site (11/4)
County neutral on Spokane Tribe's off-reservation casino (10/28)
Editorial: Spokane Tribe doesn't need off-reservation casino (10/11)
BIA sees opposition to Spokane Tribe off-reservation casino bid (10/7)