Artist's rendering of the proposed Cowlitz Casino Resort. Image from Cowlitz Indian Tribe Environmental Impact Statement
The Bureau of Indian Affairs will be placing a gaming site in trust for the Cowlitz Tribe of Washington, according to a notice filed in federal court. The October 22 notice states that the 152-acre site will be acquired as soon as January 21, 2015. But the date could come earlier if a federal judge issues a final decision in a lawsuit filed by a rival tribe and casino opponents. “We’ve waited too long for a decision,” Chairman Bill Iyall told The Columbian. "So, I think that should happen fairly soon.” The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde of Oregon and Clark County in Washington are suing the BIA to stop the acquisition of the land. Among other issues, they are raising the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The decision restricts the land-into-trust process to tribes that were "under federal jurisdiction" as of 1934. The Cowlitz didn't receive formal recognition until 2000 but the BIA has determined that the tribe meets the definition. Get the Story:
Feds: Tribe could get casino land as soon as January (The Columbian 10/24)
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