Coquille brochure describing proposed casino

7/27/2019 Coquille brochure describing proposed casino

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theCedarsat Bear Creek

The Coquille Tribe in Southern Oregon


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Continuity

Community

Commitment


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Contents4 Welcome5 A Place in this World

6 The Cedars at Bear Creek

8 Why Medord?

9 Paying Our Fair Share9 A Closer Look

10 Caring or Each Other

11 Building a Better Community, Together

13 The Coquille Tribe

14 Tribal Restoration

16 Opportunity to Succeed

17 The Tribe Today

18 Tribal Enterprises

19 Planning or the Future

20 Community Awareness

21 Gaming in Oregon

22 Whats Next


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Dai slaWelcome, Friends

The Coquille are a strong and industrious people We have lived in this

region or thousands o years and have a proound sense o connection

to the land and the communities that make up Southern Oregon We

are dedicated to keeping our culture alive and creating a strong and

prosperous uture or our nation and the communities in which we live

Today we sustain our Tribe through endeavors in orestry, agriculture,

communications, and entertainment Our Tribal membership is expected

to double in the next 20 years To ensure that our population growth is

supported by simultaneous economic growth, we are taking proactive

measures to ensure a prosperous uture or our Tribe and the communities

we live in across a ve-county region in Southern Oregon

Since 1995 we have successully operated The Mill Casino Hotel andRV Park in Coos Bay, Oregon, creating 600 jobs and generating more than

$68 million in overall economic impact to the community, including over

$335 million in labor income or our employees Every year we give back

to the communities in which we live through substantial grants to local

organizations The Mill Casino has distributed more than $4 million

in charitable grants to community organizations

Last year, we purchased a 24 acre parcel o land in south Medordthat includes the Roxy Ann Lanes bowling center and an abandoned

restaurant We plan to develop a modest Class II gaming acility to help

broaden the economic base o support or the programs we must

provide to Tribal members When complete The Cedars at Bear Creek

will create hundreds o jobs and provide needed economic stimulus

or both the local community and our Tribe, including housing, ood,

education, and medical care or our members

This is a project where

everyone wins. We developed

this booklet to introduce

residents and city, county,

and state ofcials to our

Tribe, our commitment to the

community, and our plans or

the uture. Please take some

time to learn more about how

our investment in Medord

benefts the entire region.

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Medord and Jackson

County were part o our

past we want to develop

our community and workwith the people who are

there to make it a place

we can all enjoy or

our uture.

Ken TannerChief

Coquille Indian Tribe

A Place in this WorldAn Identity Restored

It was a real struggle The whole idea was

that we become assimilated, and so you try to

deny your history, explains Chie Ken TannerChie Tanner was 14 when the United States

government ormally terminated the Coquille

Tribe It never worked or me Later, when

I was a young man, I began to understand

my identity as a Native American it really

resonated with me I got a good eeling o

my identity, my place here on the earth,

and my place with the Tribe

Chie Tanner has led the Coquille Indian Tribe

since 1992 Born and raised in southwestern

Oregon, Chie Tanner has a Masters inSocial Work and has worked as a Mental

Health Counselor in Jackson County or

more than 22 years

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The Cedars at Bear CreekAt a Glance

A phone survey o local

residents conducted at the time

the project was announced

showed widespread support

in Medord and throughout

Jackson County: 59 percent o

residents strongly support the

project while only 10 percent

strongly oppose it.

The goal o this project is to create a Class II gaming acility in south

Medord and to re-establish a location where Tribal services can be

provided to members in Jackson County The Cedars at Bear Creek will

not only enhance recreational opportunities in the Rogue Valley, but

will bring needed jobs and economic revitalization to the community

The project site currently consists o Roxy Ann Bowling Center, the

building that housed Kims restaurant, and several abandoned and

dilapidated structures Most o the reconstruction will take place within

the existing ootprint o Roxy Ann Lanes The bowling alley is being

completely renovated with all new exterior elevations that will

convey a distinctly northwestern look and eel

A Class II gaming acility diers rom a Class III casino and oersonly games commonly known as electronic bingo games Players

bet against each other and not against the house This Class II acility

cannot legally oer table games or slot games In addition to the

Class II gaming, the acility will have an upscale restaurant

The Cedars at Bear Creek has strong support rom local residents

or both the added recreational opportunities and the positive impact

the project will have on job growth and the local economy:

Initial investment o $11 million during construction

Local purchases totaling $61 million in the rst year o operations,

generating another $104 million o output in other industries

Long-term economic benets (direct and indirect) estimated

at nearly $40 million annually or Jackson County

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Artists Rendering

I believe that the

Coquille Indian Tribe

is an outstanding

community partner; and

I expect that their values,

responsiveness, and

generosity will make

them valuable members

o any other jurisdiction

where they choose

to create jobs andprovide services.

Rodger CraddockCoos Bay City Manager

The Cedars at Bear Creek in Medord will help secure the Tribal

governments ability to provide necessary services to its members

while bringing millions o dollars into Medord and Jackson County

through inrastructure investment, job creation, and the establishment

o an economically viable business

One o the biggest immediate benets to the community will

be the creation o hundreds o new jobs The Cedars at Bear Creekis projected to do the ollowing:

Create 233 ull-time jobs with an average wage that is 18 percent

higher than the current average wage in Jackson County

Stimulate the creation o an additional 373 jobs in the

community, or a total o 606 direct and indirect jobs

Fill approximately 90 percent o the new jobs with community

members not aliated with the Tribe

Direct payroll and benets o more than $9 million, with an

estimated $135 million in additional payments to other workers,

producing an estimated total o more than $23 million in

direct and indirect wages and benets

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Why Medord?A Good Fit or the Community

The Coquille Tribe careully considered many locations beore choosing Medord, Oregon, as the mostsuitable or this project Some o the primary reasons or choosing Medord include the ollowing:

At the time o the Coquille Tribes restoration,

Jackson County had the second-largest

population o Tribe members The Tribe

has a strong desire to continue to provide

services to its members in Jackson County

Medord has an educated populationbase, making it easier to recruit and retain

qualied employees

The Tribe identied Medord as a viable

market opportunity based on its distance

rom other gaming acilities

Most o the Tribes businesses are currently

located on the Oregon coast The Tribe believes

that it is critically important to have a diversegeographic basis or revenue in the event that

a disaster, such as a tsunami, causes severe

damage to their coastal acilities

The Cedars at Bear Creek will not only enhance recreational opportunities in the Rogue Valley but will also

bring needed jobs and economic revitalization to the community and south Medord development

As a county commissioner, I have ound the Tribe to be responsive and helpul regarding regional

issues. They have been collaborative during times when collaboration is needed, and they have

been eager to assist in fnding local solutions. The Tribe is an asset to our community.

Melissa Cribbins

Coos County Commissioner

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Paying Our

Fair ShareFee-or-Service Agreementswith Local Government

The Tribe understands that local jurisdictions are concerned

about losing revenue once the land is placed into Trust, asthe Tribe will not be required to pay taxes or other common

ees that are used to support city and county services

The Coquille Tribe has ully compensated the City o North

Bend or any loss o revenue associated with The Mill Casino

through payments in lieu o taxes to the police department,

re department, and other local government and non-

government organizations As it has done in North Bend,the Tribe desires to enter into contracts that will require

it to pay or local government services

The Mill security sta, who have a zero-tolerance

policy, are very proessional, and with their surveillance

equipment they are a great help to us in securing

convictions or on-site crimes. In act, I have hired

two o them or our department.

Steve ScibelliNorth Bend Police Chief

A Closer LookThe Tribes ee-or-service agreement with

the City o North Bend, provides ongoing

support or the North Bend Police

Department and other city services

In 2012, the Tribe paid more than

$400,000 to North Bend, helping to und

law enorcement, re protection, and

impacts on water, storm water, and sewer

services The signicant level o support

helps purchase vehicles and equipment

and provides or additional personnel

to benet the entire community

Scott Lafevre, Coquille Chief of Police, Deputy WillKrahenbuhl, Coos County Sheriffs Department

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Caring or Each OtherEvery Step o the WayI love helping people and I love working with Tribal

members, says Bridgett Wheeler with an inectious

smile Bridgett is a member and employee o the

Coquille Tribe where she serves as Director o

Education Bridgett also knows rst hand what its

like to be supported by her Tribe

Three years ago Bridgett went into premature labor,

giving birth to Zane and Garren Wheeler at only 33

weeks gestation Ater three days, Zane weighed only two

pounds and Garren just our pounds Bridgett and her

husband, Tom, virtually lived at the Eugene hospital during

the 22 days their boys spent in the neonatal intensive

care unit while still caring or their other children

Bridgett remembers, The Tribe was phenomenal

They became the lieline or our amily We had support

rom all areas o the Tribe, nancially and emotionally,

rom the Council on down They were there or us and

our babies every step o the way

Today, the twins are happy, healthy, and very activelittle boys Bridgett said the amazing Tribal support

refects the Tribes belie in taking care o all the

people in their community whether they are Tribal

members or not: The Coquille people are good

stewards We take care o the community and

our people, and it benets everyone

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The Coquille Indian Tribe,

through its oundation,

generously provides direct and

incidental support to many

other nonproft organizations

in our area. Its annual grant

programs assist an astonishing

array o groups providing

essential human services,

as well as arts and cultural

entities the Coquille Indian

Tribe has a strong track record

o very real commitment

to positive communitycollaboration and broadly

benefcial community

outcomes in our area.

Anne W. DonnellyExecutive Director

Coos Historical and Maritime Museum

Building a Better

Community, TogetherThe Coquille Tribal Community Fund

Its a two-way street In addition to the jobs and the economic benets

generated by a successul business, the Coquille Tribe has a strong tradition

o giving back to the communities that help support its business endeavors

In 2001 the Tribe established the Coquille Tribal Community Fund to set

aside a portion o The Mill Casino prots or nonprot organizations that

include public works and cultural enrichment within the Tribes ve-county

geographic area The und refects the Tribes commitment to playing

a positive, proactive role in the well-being o the community as a whole

This competitive grant-making program provides nancial support toprojects in education, health, public saety, arts and culture, and historic

preservation Since its inception the und has distributed $41 million to

support charitable and community projects in ve counties in southwestern

Oregon, including Jackson County These include programs that ocus on

education, eeding the hungry, taking care o the children and the elders,

and providing or veterans

The und refects the Tribes commitmentto playing a positive, proactive role in thewell-being o the community as a whole.

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The Coquille TribeA Rich Heritage in Southern Oregon

The Coquille people have lived in the southwest region o Oregon or thousands

o years Prior to the arrival o settlers, the Coquille had permanent villages in places

that are now called Coos Bay, Cape Blanco, Port Orord, Charleston, Bandon, and

Cape Arago, to name a ew They lived in cedar plank houses and traveled by oot

and canoe throughout the region The Coquille had a powerul connection to

the landsustaining their people on the bountiul shing, hunting, and nativeplants ound throughout southwestern Oregon

Indian villages and extended amilies along the Coquille River and the south

coast were linked to villages in the Rogue River Valley by kinship, marriage, and

shared cultural practices, including trade, communal hunting and gathering activities,

and shared spiritual practices These gatherings were also a time or celebration

and dance The Rogue River was a major trading route that promoted not only trade

but also intermarriage and communal activities Current members o the CoquilleTribe are direct descendants o Rogue River Indians and Umpqua Indians

The VisionThe Coquille Tribe is a community whose binding thread is their Coquille identity;

where members give to and receive rom the Tribe; and where tribal sovereignty

and culture are exercised and protected by decisions and actions that are based

on the long-term sustainable health and well-being o the Tribe and the region

Continued on page 14

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Tribal Restoration

The Coquille Tribes ancestral territory encompassed more than

700,000 acres In 1855 the Coquille signed a treaty in good aith

with the US government that acknowledged the Tribes rights

to large portions o its homeland as well as money or schools

and investments in agriculture Congress never ratied this

treaty, however, and the subsequent generations o Coquille

were denied a permanent homeland until modern times

In 1856 the Coquille, along with other Indian tribes, were

orcibly marched north to the Siletz Reservation In 1954 the

US government terminated its recognition o the Coquille Tribe

Over the past 150 years, Tribal members established homes

throughout ve dierent counties in Southern Oregon At the

time o its restoration and recognition Jackson County was

home to the second-largest population o Coquille Despitethe eort to disband the Coquille Tribe, they continued to

unction as a sovereign government and amily

A dedicated eort by the Tribe resulted in the restoration

o its ederal tribal status under the Coquille Restoration Act,

which became law in 1989 The Coquille Restoration Act authorizes

the Secretary o the Interior to take land into trust in the area

composed o Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Lane Counties(25 USC 715(5)) As lands in these counties are placed into

trust or the Tribe, the lands are restored to reservation status

and can be used to create the same economic opportunities

as any other reservation land

Since restoration the Coquille Tribe has acquired approx-

imately 7,000 acres o orestland, armland, and residential

and commercial-retail property

Continued from page 13

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Opportunity

to SucceedTaking Care oOur Community

I thought i I could stand and talk to people

all day that it would be such a great job, laughs

Kippy Robbins While growing up on the Oregon

coast, she aspired to work as a checker at the

local grocery store Later, Kippy realized that

she wanted much more out o lie

I didnt have the money to go to school, but I

knew that as a Tribal member I had the opportunity

to go Kippy said, I had to work ull time andtake care o my kids, but the Tribe never gave up

on me Over the next 13 years, she earned her

bachelors degree Once Kippy graduated, she

set her sights on a masters degree in mental

health Four years later, she began work as a

mental health therapist

I got the nancial support and the psychologicalsupport I needed to succeed, because the Tribe

was always just one phone call away no matter

what was going on, said Kippy We know lie

is reciprocali we take care o our amilies and

our communities, they will take care o us

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We as a Coquille peoplelive in balance with our

land. We believe in only

taking what we need,

always leaving some or

our uture generations.

Ken Tanner

ChiefCoquille Indian Tribe

The Tribe Today

Investing in the FutureWith restoration to tribal status in 1989, the Coquille Tribe began

a thoughtul long-term planning eort with the goal o economic

diversication and tribal sel-suciency

The Coquille Restoration Act provided economic tools, including

gaming, that the Tribe could use to ulll its obligation to serve

its members and their needs Today the Coquille Tribe has an

established track record o running successul businesses

The Tribe strives to develop and maintain protable businesses

that oster excellence, opportunity, and respect or Tribal values,

the environment, and the community

Tribal members do not receive any direct proceeds rom gaming

or other revenue streams in per capita payments Instead, the income

rom Tribal businesses allows the Coquille Tribal Council to providea broad base o important services to Tribal members These programs

include health and human services, law enorcement, natural resource

management, housing assistance, and education

The ability o the Tribal government to be sel-sucient in providing

these basic services helps create a sense o community and shared

purpose among the Coquille These programs also take the place

o services that would otherwise all to local and state governments,

reeing up resources or others in need

The Tribe is now the second-largestemployer in Coos County and hasreinvested millions o dollars directly

into the community.

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Tribal Enterprises

Successul Existing Operations

Tribal enterprises help the regional economy by creating newjobs and by spending millions each year on local goods andservices The Coquille Tribes multiaceted operations are ounded

on core Tribal values: honesty, integrity, and teamwork

The Mill Casino Hotel and RV ParkA premier south coast destination, The Mill Casino oers a winningcombination o Nevada-style gaming, varied dining options, world-

class entertainment, and gracious accommodationsall in an

atmosphere o Northwest-inspired comort and riendly service

ORCA CommunicationsORCA builds ber-optic and wireless communications networks

and is dedicated to providing rural communities with low-costber-optic/broadband access to link Coos Bay Area regional

businesses and institutions to national and global markets ORCA

Communications with employees now in Colorado and Oregon,

was recently awarded an SBA 8a designation, allowing ORCA

to compete nationally or ederal contracts with the goal o

additional employment and expansion opportunities

Perpetua Power Source Technologies, Inc.Perpetua Power Source is a startup company in Corvallis, Oregon

that develops and manuactures advanced renewable-energy

solutions that enable its customers to develop, deploy, and benet

rom next-generation wireless sensor applications

Bear Creek Golf CourseThe Coquille Tribe leases the 31-acregol course nestled along a portion

o beautiul Bear Creek in Medord,

Oregon The acilities include a

9-hole executive layout, ull-line pro

shop, covered driving range, two

practice greens, and a snack bar

Coquille ForestThe Coquille Tribe manages just

over 5,400 acres o orestland in the

Coquille Forest The ongoing sustainable

harvesting on this orestland provides

jobs or the local timber industry, keeps

regional sawmills in business, and protects

the regions watershed and other natural

resources The Coquille Forest has been

certied as an environmentally sound

and sustainable orest by the Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC)

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Planning or

the FutureThe Coquille Tribal Council

Today Tribal members benet rom services

provided by their Tribal government across ve

counties in Southern Oregon as well as Tribal

members who reside beyond its geographicboundaries A democratically elected seven-

member Tribal Council is the Coquilles governing

body, overseeing broad-based programs that

support the health, education, housing, disease

prevention, law enorcement, and general

welare o the tribal community

The Tribes demographics underscore the need

or the Tribal government to take proactive measures

to ensure a sustainable uture or the Tribe More

than 60 percent o the Tribes members are under

30 years old, and 94 percent are under 65 years

old Tribal membership is projected to double

in the next 20 years

The Coquille Tribal Council is constantly looking

ahead to balance the Tribes current needs againstthe long-term needs o uture generations By

investing in The Cedars at Bear Creek, the Tribe

is taking the next step to ensure its long-term

economic stability or generations to come

Ken TannerChief

Toni Ann BrendVice-Chair

Kippy RobbinsRepresentative #1

Eric MetcalRepresentative #3

Brenda MeadeChairperson

Joan MetcalSecretary/Treasurer

Sharon ParrishRepresentative #2

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Community AwarenessResponsible Recreational Opportunities

The development o a gaming acility in south Medord has raised concerns about potential security

issues, crime, and problem gambling The Coquille Tribes experience at The Mill Casino in North Bend and

the experience o other cities with casinos provide strong evidence that this project will not contribute to

signicant increases in any o these problem areas

The Cedars at Bear Creek will have a ully staed and proessionally trained security team The team will utilize

state-o-the-art video surveillance equipment and will be under the regulation o the Coquille Gaming Commission

as well as the National Indian Gaming Commission

Most studies o the actual impact o legalized gaming acilities show that a net positive impact comes rom

the additional jobs and the economic stimulus that legalized gaming brings to a community A study by the University o Chicago or the

National Gambling Impact Study Commission

ound that in communities proximate to newly

opened casinos, per capita rates o bankruptcy,

health indicators, and violent crimes are not

signicantly changed

In communities with legalized gaming acilities,

studies show an actual drop in welare and

unemployment insurance payments as more

jobs become available

Under ederal law the Medord Police Department and the Jackson County Sheris oce will have the same authorityto respond to any disturbance or criminal activity on this property that they would have anywhere else in the city

We work with the local Fire Marshal, City Water System, and Building Inspectors to ensure that

all building codes and requirements are met. We contract with City Police and Fire Departments

to provide us services. We have an excellent relationship with local law enorcement. They provide

us support and we assist them when needed. I have been in law enorcement my entire lie andI can guarantee you that the casinos in this state are some o the saest places you can visit.

Terry SpringerChair

The Coquille Gaming Commission


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Gaming in Oregon

Putting It in PerspectiveBy any measure gaming is already common

in Jackson County, with more than 114 gaming

establishments eaturing 574 video lottery terminals

(VLTs) throughout the geographic area In Jackson

County VLTs are ound in many local bars, pizza

parlors, mini-marts, and other retail establishments,

and they generate approximately $30 million inannual sales Oregonians spend more than $1 billion

on the Oregon State Lottery each year, and there

are nine Tribes that operate legalized gaming

acilities throughout the state

By bringing a Class II gaming acility to Medord,

the Coquille Tribe is increasing the recreational

quality o the gaming experience, not necessarily

the ease o access to gaming, which already exists

at more than 100 locations throughout the city

Gaming has become an accepted orm o

recreation and an important revenue source or

the state and the tribes that operate legal acilities

Approximately 80 percent o Oregonians have

gambled at least once, and more than 60 percent

have gambled in the past year Although the vast

majority o people who gamble do so responsibly,

there is a very small percentage o the population

that develops problems with gambling The Tribe

has no desire to prot rom anyone who is not

gambling solely or recreation

Oregon does more than any other state to

prevent gambling problems The State allocates

1 percent o all revenue generated by the Oregon

Lottery into treatment centers and preventive

education across the state The Tribe likewise

invests a portion o its proceeds to help und

organizations that provide ree and easilyaccessible help or gambling problems

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Following its purchase o 242 acres o commercial

property in south Medord, the Coquille Tribe

submitted a request to the Secretary o the Interior

to have the land transerred into trust or the Tribe

and restored to reservation status according to

the Coquille Restoration Act

This request has triggered review under

the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA),

a lengthy 2 to 3 year ederal process that emphasizes

transparency and collaboration with state and local

agencies and provides multiple opportunities or

public input and comment

The process involves the ollowing steps: A ederal determination that the land qualies

as restored land or gaming activity;

A detailed Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) analyzing the impacts o the ee-to-trust

decision; and

A ederal decision on whether to approve a

ee-to-trust transer

Local agencies, including the City and the County,

are invited to ormally participate in the NEPA

process as Cooperating Agencies

The NEPA process will thoroughly analyze the

environmental, social, and economic impacts o the

Coquille Tribes proposal as well as alternatives to

the proposed action and a no action alternative

The Tribe welcomes the opportunity to collaborate

with the City and the County as Cooperating

Agencies The Tribe is also ully supportive o

the public comment process and is committed

to the transparency and the opportunity or

input embodied in the process

During this process the Tribe will actively engage

with local community leaders to ensure the project

is as benecial to Medord and Jackson County as

The Mill Casino has been or North Bend, Coos

Bay, and Coos County

Whats Next?

Looking Ahead at Next Steps

Sign Up or UpdatesTo receive notications about public meetings and deadlines or public comments, pleasevisit www.medordwins.comand sign up or our e-mail alerts For the latest updates on the

Environmental Impact Statement process visit www.coquilleeis.com


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2013 Coquille Indian Tribe All rights reserved

003 REV 091913

Coquille Tribal Outreach Ofce

1257 N. Riverside Ave., Suite 13Medford, OR 97501

Telephone: (541) 756-0904

Fax: (541) 756-0847

medfordwins.com

Coquille brochure describing proposed casino

Documents

Transcript of Coquille brochure describing proposed casino