People Against a Casino Town
News of Interest
Opposition to casino in Oregon's Columbia Gorge
 


  • 11/18/08 - Columbia Gorge group asks for help - The bid to build a massive casino in the Columbia Gorge is falling apart at all evels and a soon departing Bush Administration can take the final step to end the Gorge casino threat. While you may be eager to see this Administration move on, we need your help to call on them one more time. (http://www.gorgefriends.org)  (.pdf file)

  • 09/19/08 - Columbia Gorge casino draws fire at hearing - Too many cars and too few affordable housing options were the prevailing themes in Monday’s hearing before Hood River City Council

  • 08/20/08 - Friends expose tribe's influence over casino process - In several telling instances, tribal attorneys were given advance drafts of agency documents and were permitted to revise the documents before the agency released them to the public.

  • 03/07/08 - First hearing held at casino in Warm Springs -  A handful testified against the casino. Mary Repar of Stevenson, Wash., treasurer of the No Casino Committee, compared the Gorge to a beautiful woman. ''A pretty woman attracts a lot of lovers who make midnight promises,'' she said. ''They say they will respect her in the morning. But Mother Earth is saying no.''   Speaking for himself, spokesman Philip Harju of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, which plans a casino in southwest Washington, supported the Warm Springs proposal.  ''We want the BIA to understand that there were mills all up and down the gorge, with wigwam burners going 24 hours a day,'' Harju said. ''The mills dumped a lot of stuff in the river. So if the Friends of the Gorge, or whatever front group they're using, claims the Warm Springs are going to hurt the Gorge, what a crock.''  The hearing was the first of five to be held through March 17 to determine whether the tribe will be allowed to build a new casino in Cascade Locks, Ore., on the Columbia River. (3/7/08, First hearing on Gorge casino held at Warm Springs)

  • 01/28/08 - Plans for "largest casino in Oregon" still alive - After months of inaction, the federal government has finally agreed to a round of public hearings on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ Cascade Locks casino proposal.  “What it means is the project is still alive,” said Louis Pitt, director of government affairs and planning for the tribes.  (1/28/07 - First hearing will be at Warm Springs (reservation) )

  • 01/11/08 - Columbia Gorge still threatened with casino - Cascade Locks government leaders learned last weekend that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement outlining issues related to the siting of a tribal casino/resort within the city will soon be released for public review.  The DEIS is expected to be published in the Federal Register within the next several weeks, followed by five public hearings.  The announcement from the Interior keeps alive the long-standing proposal by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to build a 500,000 square foot casino on 25 acres within Cascade Locks’ industrial park.
  • 12/24/07 - Approval for Columbia Gorge casino unlikely - The odds seem to be lengthening against a tribal casino in the Columbia Gorge, at least during the tenure of Dirk Kempthorne as interior secretary.   Spirit Mountain Casino Tribe ran a $1 million ad campaign against the (Columbia Gorge) proposal and is prepared, in its latest budget, to spend nearly $5 million to fight off-reservation casinos.

  • 05/05/06 - Gorge casino faces longer odds  In a letter to Warm Springs Chairman Ron Suppah, a high-ranking U.S. Interior Department official essentially has asked the tribes to rethink their proposal.  "Please be advised that we share the concerns that many have expressed with off-reservation gaming and so-called 'reservation shopping,' " wrote James Cason, associate deputy Interior secretary. "We urge you to become fully aware of the changing environment and to discuss the risks of pursuing an off-reservation gaming application," Cason continued.

  • 11/25/06 - Tribe thanks officials for Gorge casino support

  • 10/09/06 - Tribe rebuts Kulongoslkie stand on Gorge casino - Kulongoski's endorsement of the Cascade Locks casino has drawn fire from not only the Grand Ronde but also antigambling advocates, state lottery retailers and environmental interests. They also argue that letting the Warm Springs build on nontribal land in Cascade Locks would encourage other tribes to demand they also be allowed to put up casinos in more-profitable, off-reservation sites. 

  • 09/14/06 - MORE GOOD NEWS FOR COLUMBIA GORGE - House votes down weakened "reform" bill regarding off-reservation casinos - Today, the House of Representatives voted to reject a bill that would have given a free pass to a proposal for a 600,000-square-foot casino complex in the heart of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. The bill, as originally proposed by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), took strong steps to effectively restrict the proliferation of off-reservation casinos. However, the bill put before the House of Representatives today contained numerous last-minute exemptions and loopholes, including an exemption for the controversial Columbia Gorge casino proposal. As a result, the defeat was cheered by casino-expansion opponents across the country. Currently, only three off-reservation casinos exist in the country. The final vote was 247-171, falling far behind the two-thirds majority needed to pass the provision. The bill was considered via a "suspension of rules," an approach often used to fast track legislation that allows for little debate and no amendments.
      "Defeat of this bill is just one more indication that a Las Vegas-sized casino in the heart of the Columbia Gorge makes no sense," said Gorman. Currently, there are no off-reservation casinos in Oregon. The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs hold the largest reservation in Oregon with over 600,000 acres. The Gorge casino proposal would bring an estimated three million more visitors to the Columbia Gorge each year. Traffic congestion, habitat loss and air quality problems would result from development and parking lots ten times the size of the parking at Multnomah Falls.
      Among the Oregon delegation, Representatives David Wu, Earl Blumenauer, and Darlene Hooley voted "No," as did Washington State Representative Brian Baird. Congressman Wu was particularly instrumental in securing the necessary votes. "He was on a mission to stop this thing, and thank goodness he was," said Kevin Gorman, executive director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge.
      As a result of the potential impacts, the Gorge casino proposal has generated controversy on both the state and federal level. Last month, a statewide poll of 400 registered voter showed that 68% of Oregonians oppose a Gorge casino. The Department of Interior also recently required the Warm Springs to consider an on-reservation alternative to its Gorge casino proposal.
      "The Department of Interior, the public and now the House of Representatives have said: Don't put a casino in the middle of a national treasure," added Gorman. (News Release, Friends of the Columbia Gorge http://www.gorgefriends.org)
  • 8/24/06 - Good News for the Gorge - That Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski would jeopardize the unique scenic area bordering our two states is disappointing. He did so by granting the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs permission to proceed with planning a huge casino and resort at Cascade Locks, far from its Central Oregon reservation. Without the governor's OK, there would be no threat of a casino in the scenic area no worries about such a large increase in traffic, pollution and harm to endangered species. Gov. John Kitzhaber, who served before Kulongoski, rightly refused to let such a monstrosity of human development in the gorge.
  • 08/22/06 - Oregon off-reservation casino setback - Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., hailed the Aug. 17 report, which he said came in response to requests from him and others that the environmental analysis of the project include sites outside the gorge.  "The Interior Department has made the right decision for the Columbia River Gorge, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation and the people of Oregon," Wu said in a statement. "Much is at stake (in the casino project), and doing what is right cannot be short of a full analysis of all potential sites."  Wu and other opponents say a Las Vegas-style casino at Cascade Locks, Ore. -- about 40 miles east of Portland -- could bring in more than 3 million visitors a year, exacerbating traffic, pollution and risks to endangered species in the gorge, which is designated as a national scenic area. 

    Michael Lang, conservation director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, a casino opponent, said the report was another sign that the Bush administration opposes off-reservation casinos.  "We think that what the BIA and Interior are clearly telling the Warm Springs tribe is to build your casino on the reservation," Lang said.

  • 08/12/06 - Lines deepen in debate on Gorge casino - "What they've told the tribe to do is go back to the start and re-write a cornerstone of the whole proposal," he said. "This administration does not favor off-reservation casinos."  Meanwhile, Friends issued results of a poll this week that they said reveals that 68 percent of Oregonians surveyed are opposed to placing a casino in the Gorge.

  • 7/15/06 - Significant problems for casino proposed in Columbia Gorge - The project is already behind schedule. A draft environmental impact statement originally slated to be released last winter won't be out until this fall -- pushing an anticipated opening from 2008 to 2009.The tribe must evaluate the feasibility of a casino on an alternative site, a requirement that opponents have long demanded. The order came from James E. Cason, associate deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which has the final say on whether the tribe will be allowed to build off-reservation.

  • 6/19/06 - Oregon casino tribe turns into political player - Both the Grand Ronde tribe and Friends of the Columbia Gorge argue that the Hood River site was unbuildable. Among other reasons, there would be no way to build roads to the reservation parcel because of federal gorge protections, Lang said.  "That's just a false choice," said Martin, the Grand Ronde lobbyist. "The U.S. Forest Service said it couldn't be done." Lang suspects that Bergstein, a longtime acquaintance of Kulongoski and one of the state's consummate political fixers, used his persuasive skills on the governor.  Although the compact with the Warm Springs must come back for his consent if it wins approval from the federal government, Kulongoski said he won't change his mind "and tell the Warm Springs a deal's not a deal.  "That's not going to happen with me as the governor," he said.

  • 06/08/06 - Warm Springs tribes offered casino deal - Grand Ronde tribes want Cascade Locks plans abandoned - The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde have offered the Warm Springs tribes a deal: Drop plans for a casino in Cascade Locks and in exchange, they'll finance a brand new Warm Springs casino in Central Oregon. The Grande Ronde tribes made the offer in a letter from Grand Ronde Tribal Council Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy to Warm Springs Tribal Chairman Ron Suppah
    .
  • 06/06/06 - Gorge casino opponents cite gambling threat in Hood River forum - Opponents to a tribal casino focused heavily on the social ills brought by gambling during a special forum last week. “There is a tremendous amount of crime directly associated in Las Vegas with gambling,” said George Holt, who is a former prosecutor from Clark County, Nev. He said that prostitution, vice and fraud accompanied casino activities. Holt predicted a “ripple effect” of public safety problems within a 50-mile radius of any facility constructed by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs in the Columbia Gorge. Michael Lang, conservation director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge, was also a presenter. He said any Gorge casino was likely to bring traffic congestion and air pollution, as well as damage wildlife habitat areas and scenic vistas.
  • 05/28/06 - Tribe says it may run more anti-Kulongoski ads - The dispute centers on Kulongoski's decision in 2005 to allow the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to build an off-reservation casino in Cascade Locks, located within the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and about 40 miles east of the lucrative Portland market.  The Grand Ronde, whose Spirit Mountain casino currently is closest to Portland, says that letting Warm Springs build on nontribal land in Cascade Locks would encourage other tribes to demand they also be allowed to put up casinos in more profitable, off-reservation sites. One of the most vocal opponents is Michael Lang, conservation director of Friends of the Columbia +Gorge, who contends that placing a casino in Cascade Locks will increase air and water pollution in the heart of one of Oregon's most scenic areas. Lang notes the plan has yet to receive federal approval and that Kulongoski still has the opportunity to drop the Cascade Locks casino in favor of finding another site for the Warm Springs tribe — and avoid having the Grand Ronde opposing his re-election this fall. 
  • 05/22/06 - Concerns grow about off-reservation casinos - "It is wrong to build a 600,000 square foot casino drawing 3 million people and 1 million additional cars into the Columbia River Gorge."

  • 05/07/06 - Betting on the Governors Race - The governor's general counsel, David Reese, acknowledges that the federal Department of Interior nullified the compact Kulongoski and the Warm Springs tribe signed in 2005. That nullification set in motion a two-step federal test: whether the proposed casino is in the best interest of the tribe, and whether it is detrimental to the surrounding community. The feds have been working to answer both questions and will roll out a draft answer this summer, with a final response in the fall. Should they approve the project, it then comes back to the Oregon governor's desk for approval or, technically, "concurrence."  Without the governor's signature at that point, there can be no casino, Reese says.
  • 03/24/06 - Off Reservation Casinos - A gorge casino would unnecessarily increase traffic and air pollution in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It would hurt small businesses, particularly those in East Multnomah County, and it would reduce revenue generated from existing state lottery programs, revenue that supports public schools and other government services.
  • 03/22/06 - Oregon casino foes take on Cowlitz - A well-funded Oregon coalition that opposes a tribal casino in the Columbia River Gorge is expanding its campaign to include the Cowlitz Tribe's proposed casino near La Center.

  • 09/21/05 - Gorge casino debate escalates to federal level
    The coalition contends the casino will violate the natural resource protections of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act. That argument is based on a projected increase in the annual Scenic Area visitor count from two million to three million. According to COF, an increase in tourism will bring more air pollution and traffic congestion through the environmentally-sensitive corridor.

  • 09/01/05 - BIA schedules five hearings on Gorge casino
    The Bureau of Indian Affairs has scheduled five public hearings this month on a proposal by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to build a $300 million casino in Cascade Locks.

  • 05/20/05 - Gorge Casino Dealt Blow
    The federal Interior Department on Friday temporarily blocked a proposal by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to build a casino in Cascade Locks, but left open the possibility that it will approve the deal later.  Letter to DOI

  • 05/19/05 - Coalition Forms to oppose Oregon casino
    A diverse group of 13 small business, environmental, tribal and pro-family organizations have formed a new coalition to oppose Governor Kulongoski's plan to build the state's first and largest Indian casino off reservation lands in the Columbia River Gorge.   The coalition released the findings of a new statewide poll that shows 61% of Oregonians are concerned about the expansion of gambling and casinos...

  • 05/12/05 - Environmental Groups Ask Oregon Sen. Smith to Oppose Casino
    Citing numerous concerns, including dramatic increase in traffic, worsening of air pollution, harm to fish and wildlife,  and uncontrolled growth into the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area,  conservation groups throughout Oregon are opposed to the development of the proposed 500,000 square-foot casino resort in the heart of one of Oregon's most beloved natural scenic treasures.
  • 05/09/05 - Three Groups voice opposition to casino in Columbia Gorge
    Three new groups came out against a tribal casino in the Columbia River Gorge Monday.   In a letter to Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Friends of the Columbia  River Gorge, the Oregon Family Council, and the Oregon Restaurant Association said they're joining forces for the first time to oppose the project.

    • Letter to Secretary of State from Three Groups:   "It takes a big threat to bring conservationists, restaurant and beverage operation owners, and profamily organizations together. But a radical change in federal policy to allow off-reservation casinos just minutes from Portland and Multnomah County neighborhoods is just such a threat. It’s a threat to our beloved Columbia River Gorge, our fragile small business economy, our state schools budget and our families, who already face numerous societal challenges in raising children."
  • 04/07/05 - Governor Signs Off-Reservation Casino Compact
    "Warm Springs Tribal chairman Ron Suppah, right, provides Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski  with a promotional casino hat after the two signed a compact between the State of  Oregon and the Confederate Tribes of the Warm  Springs Reservation at a ceremony in Cascade Locks, Ore."

  • 04/01/05 - Activists Unite Against Casino in Oregon
    Cascade Locks No Casino has decided to inform their fellow citizens about the "other side" of a casino. Next week they are mailing out a flyer that lists a host of potential problems. In addition, they have posted a Web site, http://www.cl-nocasino.org that provides statistical information about the perils of gambling. Also listed is the negative economic impact on many other cities located near a tribal casino.
  • 12/11/04 - Friends of the Columbia Gorge - Threat to the Gorge
    Gearing up for legal battle, the Friends of the Columbia Gorge organization has good news about Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski's plan to let the Warm Springs Indians put a huge casino at Cascade Locks: Their cozy little arrangement is not a done deal. Opponents are holding some good cards.

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