BUFFALO — Leaders from the Seneca Nation gathered with elected state and local officials from throughout Western New York on Wednesday to discuss a powerful and important topic: the Nation’s critical role in the region’s economy.

According to an independent report prepared for the Nation, the Seneca Nation has an overall economic impact of nearly $2 billion on the economy in Western New York, including thousands of jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars in local wages, payroll taxes and other benefits.

“Our economic reach across our ancestral homelands is wide and growing,” said Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca during a press conference following an afternoon meeting with invited elected officials at Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino on the Nation’s sovereign territory in downtown Buffalo. “The Seneca Nation’s continued presence and leadership in Western New York provides important fuel to the region’s economy. Moreover, we provide for and help sustain the livelihoods of thousands of individuals and families who, like us, call this region home.”

Nation officials presented the findings of a report commissioned by the Nation to quantify the economic and fiscal impacts the Nation’s government operations and business enterprises have on the Western New York economy. The report was prepared by Meister Economic Consulting.

Among the report’s findings, the Seneca Nation and its business enterprises directly and indirectly contribute and support: $1.9 Billion in economic output; 8,014 jobs (FTE); $542.7 million in wages

Combined, the Seneca Nation’s government and business operations provide a total of 4,623 direct full-time and part-time jobs in the region (4,102 FTE), making the Nation the 12th largest employer in Western New York. The Nation and its business enterprises also spend millions of dollars with a wide network of vendors, suppliers and businesses across New York, further supporting thousands of additional jobs. In total, the report states that the Seneca Nation supports more than 8,000 total direct and indirect jobs and more than $542.7 Million in wages throughout the region.

While the Nation’s largest and most visible business enterprise may be its three casino properties – Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino, and Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino, which collectively employ approximately 3,000 workers – its total portfolio of businesses is far more diversified. The Seneca Nation operates 34 businesses across a wide range of industries, from gaming and entertainment, convenience stores and fuel operations to banking and finance, information technology, federal government contracting, and professional sports.

“Today’s study confirms what we already knew: the Seneca Nation creates jobs and drives growth — all without taxpayer dollars or subsidies,” said Seneca Nation Councilor Odie Porter.  “Our goal is simple — keep building our future for Senecas and for Western New York, free of outside government interference. We’re not outsiders. We don’t need to be lured into investing here. This is our home, and we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to make it better.”

As the Nation’s economy has grown, so has its economic reach. The report looked at the Nation’s economic impact across a 16-county region, extending from Western New York to the Genesee Valley and parts of the Southern Tier, an area that encompasses approximately 11,441 square miles and includes the boundaries of the Nation’s ancestral homelands, much of which was lost and taken throughout history.

Earlier this year, the Seneca Nation made a significant investment and acquisition in Rochester, when it acquired the National Lacrosse League’s Rochester Knighthawks franchise, securing the team’s future in Rochester. Rather than potentially being sold to an out-of-town interest and relocated, the team is now preparing for its first season under Seneca ownership, recruiting and hiring staff, finalizing its roster, energizing its fan base, and preparing to compete for a world championship.

“We are here and we are forever committed to this region,” President Seneca added. “The Seneca Nation has helped move the Western New York economy forward in a significant way that few others can match. With each step we take and each investment we continue to make, the benefits we deliver to our people improve and the economic impact we have here in Western New York grows stronger.”

Elected officials and their representatives in attendance at today’s meeting included a wide breadth of federal state and local offices, including: the Congressional offices of Reps. Timothy M. Kennedy and Claudia Tenney; New York state Sen. George Borello and staff from Sens. April Baskin, Sean Ryan, Minority Leader Robert Ortt; New York State Assemblyman Angelo Morinello and staff from Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Assemblywoman Karen McMahon; Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel; Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz; Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino; Salamanca Mayor Sandy Magiera; Erie County Legislator Lawrence Dupre; and Buffalo Common Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski.