NEARBY COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING CITY OF HOOD RIVER, ANNOUNCE OPPOSITION, CONCERNS TO GORGE CASINO
 

Citing increased air and water pollution, traffic, and access to affordable housing, six local communities urge federal government to reject casino proposal

Portland, Ore. - The cities of Hood River, Ore., Mosier, Ore., Bingen, Wash., Washougal, Wash., White Salmon, Wash. and Wasco County, Ore. submitted letters last month to the Bureau of Indian Affairs outlining their concerns about the negative impacts of the proposed Gorge casino on their communities.
 
"These Gorge communities join a majority of Oregonians and Hood River County residents who now oppose the proposed Gorge casino," said Dan Lavey a spokesman for a coalition opposed the casino plan. "We urge state and federal policy-makers to set-aside this failed plan and work with the Warm Springs people to pursue an on-reservation casino."
 
Indian Gaming law requires the Secretary of the Interior to make a two-part determination on whether casino gaming on newly acquired land  is in the best interest of the tribe and not detrimental to the surrounding community.  New federal rules define "surrounding community" as communities and elected officials within 25 miles of the proposed casino.
 
Mayor Linda Streich of Hood River wrote, "The City [of Hood River] cannot afford to utilize its over-stretched resources to meet the mutual aid needs of Cascade Locks with the projected three-fold or greater increase in call volume if the casino is built."
 
In its letter, the City of Washougal expressed concern about the potential increase of air and water pollution, stating "the current proposal, which includes acres of new buildings, parking areas and highway improvements, would result in increased runoff, sediment transport, and pollutant loading into nearby riparian areas....Washougal is very concerned about the detrimental impact on water quality."
 
Wasco County, Hood River, Mosier, White Salmon and Bingen all expressed concern about a lack of affordable housing in their communities.
 
Earlier this year, Hood River Mayor Linda Streich spoke out strongly against the proposed massive casino, saying, "I believe siting a casino in the Gorge would not only be a mistake, but it would be a mistake of catastrophic consequences affecting the livability and quality of life in our region for all time."
 
Recent polling in Hood River County - home to the proposed casino - reveals local support for a casino in the county has sunk to an all-time low with just 22% of county voters expressing support for a casino and 56% opposed.
 
Copies of letters from affected communities can be found at www.nogorgecasino.com in the Issues section.