Grand Ronde tribes to buy closed Oregon City paper mill

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde plan to purchase the shuttered Blue Heron paper mill in Oregon City and more than one mile of land along the Willamette River upstream.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports purchasing the lands would give the tribes easy access to the river for ceremonial fishing and room for potential commercial development.

Grand Ronde Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy says they were not far enough in the process to say if the land would be used for commercial development, but have aspirations to develop the land.

Kennedy told Willamette Week the Grand Ronde have no plans to build a casino in Oregon City if the land purchase is completed.

Kennedy said the tribes are midway through the purchase process but did not specify when the actual purchase would be made.