The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation took a major step toward opening a casino and travel center in Pasco by initiating a federal process to transfer land to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The tribes confirmed this week they submitted an application for the fee-to-trust transfer of tribe-owned property in Pasco to the BIA regional office in Portland.
The request will be handled through the Office of Indian Gaming and could take three to five years, Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Colville, told the Tri-City Herald earlier this week.
“We’re pleased to announce this important milestone in our efforts to enhance economic development for the Colville Tribes,” Erickson said in a subsequent press release.
