Interior Department Reopens Review of $700M Vallejo Casino Project

The US Interior Department has recently decided to revisit its prior approval of the $700 million casino project proposed by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in Vallejo. This reassessment comes as a response to legal challenges initiated by other tribal groups concerned about the clarity and fairness of the approval process, as well as potential impacts on their ancestral lands. These tribes’ efforts have prompted the Department to take another look at the evidence, especially information submitted after a 2022 legal remand that might not have been fully considered in the initial review.

In a letter issued by Scott J. Davis, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior, it was communicated that while the land for the project remains in trust, the prior gaming eligibility approval is now on hold. The project in question, which had received the go-ahead in January during the Biden administration, was planned for a 160-acre site near Interstate 80 and Highway 37. It includes not just a casino complex but also residential areas, a tribal administrative building, and a nature preserve. Proponents argue that this development would generate numerous jobs and significantly benefit the local economy. However, robust opposition from groups such as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation has led to the current reexamination by the Interior Department.