Copyright © 1999 NLThomas
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Tahlequah, OK - The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma's (CNO) Port Authority held a meeting on Friday, June 11, to discuss plans for establishing a port on the Arkansas River, using the approximately 1,000 acres of land that was donated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last year.

The land, part of the corps' old Sequoyah Recreation Area, includes the Sallisaw Creek Public Use Area which was closed by the corps in the mid-1980's. The land was then transferred to the Interior Department and placed in trust for the CNO.

At the opening of the inaugural meeting Charles Gourd, CNO Port Authority Interim Director said,"This is an opportunity for private sector market economies to happen in Indian country."

A study to determine needs for roads, utilities, land use patterns and growth of the site was presented by the Dames & Moore Architectural and Engineering firm. Gourd said, the corps also gave the tribe a surplus tugboat that has been refitted for commercial use.

Gourd estimated that the project could bring 1,500 to 2,000 jobs to the area within the next 10 years and added, the completion of the infrastructure development could take three to five years. No estimates on the cost of the project was given, however, he said that federal grants would be sought by the authority.

The intent of the proposed port and industrial park, to be located on the southern Sequoyah County land, is to get away from tribally operated government business and to develop economic enterprise for the private sector. Gourd said, "Governments have no business being in business. We'll have a location separated from tribal politics. We're going to do things that are going to change the economic and political landscape of northeast Oklahoma."

The port authority consists of a five member board, appointed by the CNO Tribal Council and operates independently from the tribe.

Members of the authority are as follow: B.J. Dumond of Tulsa, Simple Simon's pizza franchise owner; Michael Hathaway, Washington D.C. Attorney; Dick Mayo, Sallisaw newspaper publisher; Jess Sixkiller of Phoenix; George Underwood of Tulsa, former Accounting Professor University of Tulsa.