Although the landless Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians in northern California have not said where they are looking at acquiring land, wine growers in Napa Valley are worried that they want to get land and build a casino in the wine country.
There have been unconfirmed reports that the tribe has signed an agreement with Integrated Resort Development, LLC, to find land in Napa, Sonoma or Solano counties, any of which set vintners’ teeth on edge. They consider wine growing and gaming to be incompatible industries.
The tribe, which was recognized in the 1990s, has tried to locate in the area. It unsuccessfully applied to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 2012 to put land in Richmond into trust. The BIA ruled that 78 miles from the tribe’s traditional homeland was too far.
At that time the tribe proposed the “Sugarbowl Casino,” which would have included 2,000 slot machines, a steakhouse and a 225,000 square foot casino.
Last week Napa Valley Vintners, a trade association, sounded the alarm, naming the development partner it believes that tribe has signed up with. Integrated Resort Development also operates Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, for United Auburn Indian Community.
The trade agreement the vintners acquired says the tribe would pay the LLC 12 percent of net profits over the next six years. It also stipulates that land to purchase will be located within 45 days and that the tribe will make a request that the land be placed into trust to the BIA within 120 days.
According to the association, “Napa County residents have long been opposing any potential introduction of tribal casinos on their territory, as these might put the Agricultural Preserve into serious danger.”
The tribe has declined to comment on whether it has signed an agreement with Integrated Resort Development, although a spokesman said the tribe would issue a statement soon. Integrated Resort Development, based in Las Vegas, has also declined to issue a statement when it was contacted by the Napa Valley Register.
A spokesman for the vintners said they plan to raise up to $200,000 to fight a casino.
The vintners organized a group of about 30 who met at the Napa Chamber of Commerce and included the Napa Farm Bureau, Friends of the Napa River and Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza.
He told the Register, “What I’m interested in is having a discussion, to make sure any business or development coming to Napa goes through a process where we can have a discussion around that development.”
The group issued this statement after the meeting: “We collectively can only support the ownership or transfer of land to an entity required by our laws to maintain the historically significant environmental land use standards set forth by the governance of Napa County and its municipalities.”
Development has been kept out of the wine country by laws that preserve agriculture. Such laws would not bind sovereign Indian land.
Other tribes have unsuccessfully tried to build casinos in the California wine country, including the Mishewal Wappo Tribe of Alexander Valley. The Wappos lacked federal recognition, which the Scott Valley tribe does have.
