The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has rejected the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians’ proposal to establish a gaming facility in Vallejo, California. Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs William Kirkland III determined that the tribe lacks the significant historical connection required for the site to qualify as restored lands under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Project Details and Legal Response
The proposed development covered 160 acres and included a 24-hour casino, a tribal administration building, 24 single-family residences, a parking garage, and a 45-acre preserve. The DOI ruling states that the land does not qualify as restored territory, rendering the tribe ineligible to conduct gaming operations at this specific location.
Opponents of the project had previously argued that the development would deprive local Patwin tribes of ancestral land.
Tribal chair Shawn Davis expressed disappointment with the decision, stating that the administrative record supports the tribe’s eligibility. The Scotts Valley Band intends to seek judicial review of the matter. "The administrative record overwhelmingly supports the Tribe’s gaming eligibility.
We will move quickly to challenge the decision in federal court," said Davis. The Lytton Rancheria of California welcomed the DOI’s decision, although they acknowledged that the dispute is unlikely to be over.