Cowlitz Tribe, Clark County Fire & Rescue reach deal

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe signed an agreement Wednesday with Clark County Fire & Rescue to provide fire and emergency medical services to the Cowlitz Indian Reservation just outside of La Center.

The 152-acre reservation was established last March when the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs took the land into trust. In 2000, the federal government officially recognized the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, which has begun building a $510 million casino-resort on the property along Interstate 5 at Exit 16. The casino is slated to open in spring 2017.

“This government-to-government relationship will greatly enhance critical fire and life-safety services that will benefit the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and all the citizens of Southwest Washington,” Cowlitz Tribe Chairman Bill Iyall said in a press release.

Exempt from taxes

Indian reservations are exempt from paying taxes. Clark County Fire & Rescue Fire Division Chief Dan Yager said the tribe will pay the same fire protection fee for the casino that’s charged for similar buildings in the district: $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. The tribe will pay $70,000 this year, $140,000 next year and $210,000 in 2018, when the casino should be fully staffed and operational all year.

“It’s just going to work like they’re any other person in their district,” said Tim Dawdy, fire division chief in charge of fire protection. “It’s fair to the tribe, it’s fair to us. … We’ll serve them to the best of our ability, and we look forward to having them in our community.”

The closest fire station is in La Center, followed by the Woodland and Ridgefield stations, which are both about the same distance from the reservation. The nearest available units would be dispatched to calls.