NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — Over the objections of other tribes as well as California’s governor, the Department of Interior on Friday approved the Scotts Valley Pomo’s plan for a mega casino in Vallejo, far from its traditional lands and on land sacred to the Patwin people.

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, based in Lakeport, has faced strong opposition for years to its plan to build a 400,000 square foot, $700 million casino complex near I-80 and Highway 37 on a 128-acre site.

The development also is planned to include 24 homes and an administrative building to be “the nerve center for tribal governance,” Scotts Valley Tribal Chair Shawn Davis said during a July hearing.

The location was meant for open space and contains cultural sites sacred to the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, which on Friday issued a statement condemning the decision, which it said will lead to desecration of its homelands.

“For months, the Department of the Interior worked in secret to move the controversial project forward, undermining public notice, tribal consultation, and environmental review requirements along the way,” the Yocha Dehe said in its statement. “In fact, despite being informed multiple times, by both Tribes and the State Historic Preservation Officer, that the required and important National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultation process had not been completed, the Department knowingly and intentionally proceeded in violation of this bedrock law.”

The Yocha Dehe said the location is 100 miles away from Scotts Valley’s homelands, but at the core of its Patwin ancestral territory in Vallejo.

“We are deeply disappointed and disheartened to see this decision from the Biden Administration. It is difficult to believe that a group of politicians who claim to care about respecting tribal rights and sovereignty would give away historic Patwin homelands without ever consulting us. The hypocrisy is staggering,” said Yocha Dehe Chairman Anthony Roberts.

U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-08) and Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) oppose the project, as do a large number of Yolo County government officials and advocacy groups, and thousands of concerned citizens.

A common argument against the project has been Scotts Valley’s lack of historical connection to Vallejo.

The Yocha Dehe also pointed out that, on three separate occasions, the Department of the Interior has determined that Scotts Valley lacks the significant historical connection to the Bay Area needed to acquire land eligible for gaming.

However, it was a 2022 U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruling that put the case back with the Department of the Interior.

Since then, opposing tribes have criticized the Department of the Interior for bypassing their concerns. They said the situation has resulted in a lack of transparency, fairness and government-to-government consultation requests.

The Department of Interior also has been criticized for failing to thoroughly evaluate the environmental and related social and economic effects of the project by conducting an environmental impact statement. Instead, the agency issued what opponents said was an “inadequate environmental assessment” that fails to meet federal environmental guidelines, and which has inaccurate and complete information, or is missing key elements.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is amongst those opposing the Scotts Valley plan, as well as that of another Lake County tribe — the Koi Nation — that wants to build a casino in Windsor, as Lake County News has reported.

Newsom also has come out against a plan for the first off-reservation casino in Oregon. The project, to be located in Medford, is proposed by the Coquille Indian Tribe, whose reservation is in North Bend, nearly 170 miles away from the site.

On Friday, the Department of Interior signed the record of decision approving the Coquille tribe’s casino plan.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe and Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation in Oregon reported that they immediately filed a request Friday evening for the U.S. District Court to issue a temporary restraining order, citing violations of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, the Indian Reorganization Act and the Coquille Restoration Act, as well as constitutional concerns related to the National Environmental Policy Act.

“We were excited and hopeful when Secretary Haaland was appointed but her legacy is irreparably tarnished by this shameful, illegal decision,” Roberts said. “For Tribes like ours, nothing is more important than our ancestral homelands. To see our land and cultural resources taken away for the benefit of wealthy investors is painful beyond words. Throughout this process, we have been left in the dark, struggling to have our voices heard. We hope that the next Administration will take a different approach to consultation with Tribes, especially on matters that affect their ancestral homelands.”

Roberts said the matter isn’t settled yet for his tribe.

“The Department of the Interior violated their trust responsibilities for all Tribes with this unfair decision,” continued Chairman Roberts. “Although the project was approved, our fight is not over. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation will take every step necessary to continue fighting for our homelands and our future.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, and on Bluesky, @erlarson.bsky.social. Find Lake County News on the following platforms: Facebook, @LakeCoNews; X, @LakeCoNews; Threads, @lakeconews, and on Bluesky, @lakeconews.bsky.social.