Bill Iyall: Court decision won't stop Cowlitz Tribe casino plan

A recent Columbian front-page article reporting on a federal court decision about the Cowlitz Reservation -- especially the large, bold headline -- was disturbingly misleading. The Tribe's "casino plans" were not "blocked" or "thrown out" by the federal judge. Rather, U.S. District Court Judge Barbara J. Rothstein addressed a procedural matter related to how the Department of the Interior issued its decision to acquire in trust the land which will become the Tribe's reservation. The judge directed the Department of Interior to address that procedural matter and to re-issue its decision within 60 days.

The Cowlitz tradition is one of sharing with our neighbors. In meeting our future needs we will also advance the economic development needs of Clark County. Our planned economic development is projected to create thousands of jobs, not just for Cowlitz members, but for our entire surrounding community. In addition, our proposed development will allow us to fund and make much-needed improvements to our road system (e.g., improved freeway access at the La Center interchange) that will prevent future traffic congestion and encourage additional investments outside the reservation boundaries.