March 2nd, the Bureau of Indian Affairs issued their Scoping Report as part of the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Gorge casino proposal. The BIA eliminated on-reservation alternatives from the range of alternatives that should receive detailed analysis, despite overwhelming citizen input asking that alternatives to Gorge Scenic Area locations be considered. To read the scoping report visit www.gorgecasinoeis.com.

In the meantime, both the US Senate and House are taking up the issue of off-reservation casinos, and there is a real chance that the Gorge casino proposal could be killed in legislation that would amend the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.

The economic development needs of the Warm Springs Tribes are very real. If their choice is to meet those needs with a casino, I hope they’ll pick an on-reservation site or an off-reservation site that is agreeable to the larger community. While I don’t have a position on banning all off-reservation casinos, I don’t think they should be in national parks or national scenic areas. Certainly a huge one in the Gorge Scenic Area is a bad idea.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge have created an action webpage where you can send a message to Senator McCain, who chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, and Senator Smith, who is on the committee and will be very influential in determining the fate of the Gorge casino proposal. Let them know that casinos should never be approved in national parks or national scenic areas. Click here to visit the Action Alert page and send a letter to Senators McCain and Smith today.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 9th, 2006 at 12:49 pm and is filed under Environment, Gambling in Oregon, General, Take Action. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.