Aerial map shows the location at the intersection of Parr Blvd and Richmond Pkwy in Richmond, California, where the Scotts Valley Band wanted to build a casino. Image from Google Maps
The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians might be reviving plans for a casino in northern California. A proposed off-reservation casino in Richmond was shot down by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2012. The tribe failed to demonstrate a connection to the site, which was about 78 miles from headquarters, the agency said at the time. The tribe now appears to be considering locations that are closer to home. At least that's what opponents in California's wine valley believe, citing a potential agreement with a casino developer that hasn't been confirmed as legitimate. The tribe was restored to federal recognition in 1991. Normally that means the tribe could engage in gaming on newly acquired lands under an exception in Section 20 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Section 20 regulations approved by the Bush administration in 2008 require newly recognized tribes to demonstrate a modern connection, a historical connection as well as a temporal connection to a proposed gaming site. To qualify for the exception, a land-into-trust application must be submitted within 25 years of recognition -- the Scotts Valley Band appears to be running up against that deadline. Get the Story:
Possible Indian casino plan alarms vintners, county (The Napa Valley Register 3/20) Bureau of Indian Affairs Documents From 2012:
Letter to Tribe | Fact Sheet | Press Release
Related Stories
BIA
disapproves Scotts Valley Band off-reservation casino plan (05/29) Carl Artman: Scotts Valley Band deserves a shot at casino (10/18)
Editorial: Deny another off-reservation casino bid in California (09/08)
Join the Conversation
