Governor Katherine “Kate” Brown of Oregon opposes a proposed million Cedars at Bear Creek casino that the Coquille Indian Tribe wants to build in Medford. She is sticking to the policy of previous administrations that would limit tribes to one casino per tribe.
She plans to send a letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) opposing the Class II casino. The casino would be the first Class II casino in the state. Oregon currently has nine Class III Indian casinos. The tribe already operates the Mill Casino, a Class III facility in North Bend, 170 miles from the proposed casino.
Brenda Meade, chairman of the Coquille tribe, told the Mail Tribune last week, “I was disappointed the governor was really stepping out in front of this process. We’re looking at a long federal process, and we thought she’d allow that process to happen.” Meade previously commented that “one casino per tribe,” is “political fantasy.”
She added in an official statement, “I am saddened that Gov. Brown rushed to judgment on the Coquille Tribe’s economic development project in Medford. She did so before a single page of analysis has been completed by the U.S. Department of the Interior.”
The 1,050-member tribe proposes to convert an old bowling alley and restaurant into a casino with slots. The tribe has asked the BIA to put the 2.42-acre parcel into trust for the tribe. It has also asked for an exception to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act’s prohibition to have gambling on land acquired after 1988.
The process began recently. The tribe anticipates the release of a draft environment impact statement from the BIA soon.
The city of Medford has expressed concerns that it will have to devote more tax dollars to police and emergency services in response to a casino. Meade said the tribe plans to pay for those extra services.
The tribe is also having to defend itself against charges of “reservation shopping” a term that was used recently by a rival tribe, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, who operate the Seven Feathers Casino Resort in nearby Canyonville.
In a statement the Cow Creek tribe said, “We appreciate the Governor’s leadership to protect the one casino one tribe commitment. The Governor joins Senators Wyden and Merkley and Congressmen Defazio and Blumenauer in opposing Coquille’s attempt to circumvent the rules to benefit one at the expense of others. We urge the Department of Interior and Bureau of Indian Affairs to take the state and local opposition to this effort in consideration when making its decision.”
Meade told the Mail Tribune: “That’s a pretty derogatory statement to make, particularly from another tribe.”
The tribe argues that the Coquille Restoration Act gives the tribe the right to have a casino 170 miles from its reservation because the two casinos would be in the same county. The tribe was restored to federal status in 1989.
If the tribe is incorrect in its interpretation of the law it would, by the wording of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) be required to get a two-part determination before putting the land into trust. That would be impossible given Brown’s opposition.
Jackson County last July approved an inter-governmental agreement with the tribe.
Although “one-tribe, one-casino” is not established in law, several Oregon tribes have agreed to the principle in their tribal state gaming compacts. However, since compacts are not needed for Class II casinos, those compacts have no bearing on the Coquilles, who never signed such a promise.
However, according to the Cow Creek Band, the rival tribe is exploiting federal law. Michael Rondeau, the tribe’s chief executive officer, told Indianz.com, “The ‘restored lands’ position Coquille is trying to use would set a precedent that would negatively impact 44 tribes and 54 gaming developments throughout Indian Country.” He added, “The effects would extend far past Southern Oregon, and into California and Michigan, given similar language in other tribal restoration acts. Coquille’s proposal is an attempt to circumvent the intent of the law and simply bad public policy.”
