03.09.05

Senate Committee Passes Plan to Bring 10,000 New Jobs to Pierce County

Committee approves Cantwell's legislation thataids Port of Tacoma development plans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today a Senate committee approved U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell's (D-WA) legislation that would help the Port of Tacoma expand its Evergreen Shipping Terminal, potentially bringing more than $450 million in economic investments to the region and creating nearly 6,000 permanent jobs and 4,000 construction jobs in Pierce County. The same provision passed the Senate Indian Affairs Committee last September, but the Senate adjourned for the year without voting on the legislation.

"This legislation is a key part of implementing a win-win-win economic agreement between the Port, Pierce communities, and the Puyallup Tribe," said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. "Not only will South Puget Sound benefit from thousands of new jobs, it will help strengthen the Port of Tacoma economic engine." If Cantwell's legislation becomes law, the Puyallup Tribe and the Port will be able to complete their agreement to relocate the Tribe's Emerald Queen Casino, facilitating construction of a major new container terminal on the Blair Waterway and compensate the Tribe for the closure of an access road to the casino.

Cantwell's legislation will put tribal-owned land within the Puyallup Indian Reservation into trust status. This congressional action fulfills a critical component of the joint economic development agreement reached last year between the Puyallup Tribe, the State of Washington, the Port of Tacoma, Pierce County, the Cities of Fife, Puyallup, and Tacoma.

Port Commissioner Jack Fabulich said, "The Port of Tacoma appreciates the work of Senator Maria Cantwell to ensure the joint efforts of the Puyallup Tribe and the Port to create high-paying maritime jobs for our community – both now and in the future – can move forward."

Pierce County Executive John Ladenburg added, "The Port of Tacoma is the largest employer in Pierce County. Senator Cantwell's efforts to help the Puyallup Tribe move their casino will give the Port the room it needs to create even more jobs."

The joint economic agreement also commits the Port to invest $5 million towards a salmon restoration mitigation project and work collaboratively to dredge and widen the Blair Waterway.

The agreement continues in the footsteps of the Puyallup Indian Land Claims Settlement of 1988.

Puyallup Tribe Chairman Herman Dillon said, "The Puyallup Tribe is very appreciative of the efforts of our Congressional delegation to put the Tribal owned Fife Executive Inn site into Trust allowing the Tribe's interest in the $450 million Cooperative Economic Development Agreement to be protected. Putting this land in Trust allows the Tribe to relocate the Emerald Queen Casino and the Port to continue to expand."

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs unanimously approved the bill containing Cantwell's provision (The Native American Omnibus Act of 2005, S. 536) this morning.

# # #