|
    
There has been a great deal of speculation
regarding the recent application of the Snoqualmie Tribe to the Federal Bureau
of Indian Affairs to acquire land in the vicinity of the City of
Snoqualmie. The City of Snoqualmie is issuing the following fact sheet to
inform citizens of the present and potential future role of the City in this
process.
The Snoqualmie Tribe is a federally
recognized tribe, gaining official recognition by the United States in
October 1999.
As a federally recognized tribe, the
Snoqualmie Tribe is entitled by federal law to request the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, an agency of the Department of Interior, to acquire land in trust
for the benefit of the Tribe.
The application of the Snoqualmie Tribe
seeks acquisition in trust of land adjacent to Preston - North Bend Road
(Old Highway 10) immediately east of 372nd Ave. SE, land in unincorporated
King County in the City of Snoqualmie's Urban Growth Area (Snoqualmie Hills
planning area).
The decision whether to acquire the land
in trust will be made by the Secretary of the Interior. Neither the
City of Snoqualmie nor King County has any authority regarding the
acquisition of trust lands for the Tribe.
As a federally recognized tribe, the
Snoqualmie Tribe is a sovereign nation. On trust lands, the tribe is
the government, and adopts its own civil and criminal codes, including land
use and environmental laws.
If trust land is acquired for the
Snoqualmie Tribe, neither King County nor Snoqualmie will have any
permitting authority over land use or construction on trust lands.
The Snoqualmie Tribe has informed City
officials of its plans to build a "Great Lodge" style gaming
facility and has initiated discussions regarding potential future agreements
between the City and the Tribe regarding a contract for police and fire
protection and the extension of water and sewer service. No
commitments have been made by the City, other than to explore the
feasibility of such a contract for services.
The Snoqualmie Tribe can construct and
operate a gaming facility with or without a contract for services with the
City of Snoqualmie. The Tribe can obtain water from a well and dispose
of sewage through a septic system. It could provide its own police and
fire services.
If it is feasible to extend sewer service
to the trust lands, it would be much more environmentally sound to do so
than for the Tribe to construct a septic system.
A contract for services may allow the City
of Snoqualmie to influence matters over which it otherwise would have no
jurisdiction. For example, if the City commits to provide fire
protection, it would be able to require in the contract that construction
standards relating to materials and techniques for fire prevention and fire
resistance be observed. The City would also be in a better position to
offer suggestions regarding design, lighting and signage if the City were
providing contract services.
The City administration and staff are
committed to the principle that City taxpayers and ratepayers will not in
any way subsidize the construction or operation of a tribal gaming
facility. Any contract for services must be at rates that fully
compensate city costs.
The final decision as to whether a contract
for services is entered into between the City and the Tribe, and the terms of
such contract, if any, will be made by the City Council.
Casino Snoqualmie Approved
New
facility will offer multiple entertainment options
Contact: Matt Mattson, Snoqualmie Tribal Administrator
Today the long-planned Casino Snoqualmie cleared its last
regulatory hurdle when the Bureau of Indian Affairs accepted the Snoqualmie
Tribe’s application to put 56 acres of vacant land off I-90 at Exit 27 into
trust.
Snoqualmie Tribal Chief Jerry Enick announced today that after
decades of process tribal members are now looking forward to creating a premier
entertainment establishment that will provide economic development to support
Tribal endeavors such as health care and senior housing.
Casino Snoqualmie will be built within the urban growth boundary of
the City of Snoqualmie which was named over a hundred years ago after the
Snoqualmie Tribe.
In February 2001 the Tribe filed an application to put land into
trust, they then produced an extensive environmental assessment and conducted
community outreach. In March 2004 the Tribe and the City of Snoqualmie reached
an agreement that outlines how the Tribe will contribute to support emergency
services and infrastructure in the City. A notice of intent to take land into
trust was published in the Federal Register on January 31, 2006. The thirty day
appeal period following that publication expired at 5:00 p.m. March 2nd.
A groundbreaking is planned for this spring and construction is
estimated to be complete by fall of 2007. Casino Snoqualmie will be a 150,000
sq foot entertainment facility that offers traditional gaming opportunities as
well as three restaurants, a cigar bar and areas for live music and dancing.
For More Information Contact:
Casino Snoqualmie Project
PO Box 999, Snoqualmie, Washington 98065
Tel: 425-888-6551
FAX: 425-888-6727
Internet:
info@snoqualmiecasinoproject.com
| 
