The Port of Tacoma Signs Memorandum of Intent

with the Puyallup Tribe, Marine View Ventures, and SSA Marine

Focusing on Cooperation, Coordination for New Terminal Developments

--(Tacoma, WA—February 14, 2008)

At a special Port of Tacoma Commission meeting on Feb. 14, Port of Tacoma Commissioners authorized entering into a Memorandum of Intent with the Puyallup Tribe, Marine View Ventures and SSA Marine that focuses on cooperation and coordination of new terminal development on the Blair-Hylebos Peninsula. Marine View Ventures is the economic development arm of the Puyallup Tribe.

Key actions from the Memorandum of Intent (MOI) include these elements:

• The Port and the Tribe will exchange land to improve the overall layout of the current footprint of the future Tribe/SSA Marine terminal and future Port terminal developments. The Port will transfer about 18 acres to the Tribe, and the Tribe will transfer about 12 acres to the Port.

• The Port and SSA Marine will cooperate on the widening of the Blair Waterway at the planned terminal site to improve the navigational safety and operational efficiencies of terminals on the Blair Waterway.

•  The Tribe, the Port and SSA Marine will provide mutual support of each other’s development plans.

 “This agreement is a milestone in the Tribe’s continuing efforts of achieving greater economic diversification,” said Hermann Dillon, Chairman of the Puyallup Tribal Council. “By working together with the Port and SSA Marine, we are able to bring new developments and job opportunities to Pierce County and the Puget Sound region.”

“This is a big step forward for the future development of our entire community,” said Commission President Dick Marzano. “The Port and the Tribe have both made tremendous strides in the past by working together. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done in finalizing the components of a comprehensive agreement, but by continuing to work together, we will get there.”

“As a local company, we are very excited for our company to be expanding operations in Tacoma and working cooperatively with the Tribe and the Port,” said Bob Watters, Vice President of SSA Marine. “This is an important development for the Port and for the region.”

The Tribe, the Port and SSA Marine all complimented Congressman Norm Dicks for his ongoing support and leadership in supporting these cooperative development efforts. Dicks was also instrumental in negotiating the 1988 Puyallup Indian Land Claims Settlement Agreement, that led to removing the Blair Bridge, relocating SR-509 and unlocking the development potential of the upper Blair Waterway for the Tribe and the Port.

The Memorandum of Intent provides the foundation for developing the various components of a comprehensive agreement that will be developed by the three parties. The goal is to finalize the overall agreement by the end of March 2008, so that it can be presented to the Puyallup Tribal Council, Marine View Ventures, the Port Commission and SSA Marine for review and consideration for approval in April 2008.

About the Puyallup Tribe  

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians has over 3,500 members. The administration building is located on Portland Avenue on Tacoma’s East Side, and the tribe’s reservation covers 18,500 acres in Pierce County. The tribe operates Puyallup Tribal Health Authority, Chief Leschi Schools and is heavily involved in measures to improve the local environment, including operating fish hatcheries and monitoring water quality in the Puyallup River. It operates two casinos, a hotel, Chinook Landing Marina, several gas stations and other business enterprises through Marine View Ventures, the tribe’s economic development division.

About SSA Marine  

 SSA Marine, a subsidiary of Carrix, Inc., is the largest U.S. owned, and the largest privately held container terminal operator and cargo handling company in the world, handling approximately 22 million container TEUs per year. The nearly 60-year-old company serves more than 120 locations worldwide, including port operations throughout the U.S. as well as internationally in Panama, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Canada, Vietnam, South Africa and New Zealand.  

Find out more online at: www.ssamarine.com

About the Port of Tacoma

 The Port of Tacoma is an economic engine for South Puget Sound, with more than 43,000 family-wage jobs in Pierce County and 113,000 jobs across Washington state connected to Port activities. A major gateway to Asia and Alaska, the Port of Tacoma is among the largest container ports in North America, handling an estimated more than $36 billion in annual trade and about 2 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent container units). The Port is also a major center for bulk, breakbulk and project/heavy-lift cargoes, as well as automobiles and trucks.

Find out more online at: www.portoftacoma.com

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