Lytton Rancheria of California Files Lawsuit Against U.S. Department of Interior Over Flawed Casino Land Approval

WINDSOR, Calif., Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Lytton Rancheria of California, alongside the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians and the Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to challenge the rushed and improper approval of a casino project for the Koi Nation of Northern California.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, asserts that the DOI and BIA violated federal law by fast-tracking the Koi Nation's land-into-trust application and gaming approval without proper tribal consultation, adequate environmental review, or adherence to the established legal requirements. The suit highlights how federal officials, in the waning days of the Biden administration, ignored decades of precedent and rushed through approvals to benefit one tribe at the expense of others.

A Decision That Threatens Tribal Sovereignty and Stability

The complaint details how the BIA's decision to approve the Koi Nation's casino on a 68.6-acre site in Sonoma County violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act's (IGRA) "restored lands" exception, which requires a tribe to have a significant historical connection to the land. Koi, a tribe of Southeastern Pomo people, is based nearly 50 miles away in Lake County and has no documented history of settlement, burial grounds, or subsistence use in Sonoma County.

"This approval is nothing short of a political maneuver that disregards the rights of Sonoma County's historic tribes," said Lytton Rancheria Chairperson Andy Mejia. "It undermines tribal self-determination, disrespects the cultural heritage of our people, and sets a dangerous precedent that would allow any tribe to claim land far outside its ancestral territory to open a casino."

"The lawsuit also exposes conflicts of interest, including former high-ranking DOI officials who played key roles in the approval process and who had previously represented Koi or moved onto working with Koi's lobbyist, only days after the approval was issued."

Failure to Conduct Proper Consultation and Environmental Review

The legal challenge further alleges that federal officials violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by failing to properly assess the impacts of the Koi casino project. The BIA released a nearly 10,000-page Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in November 2024 but gave the public only 30 days—over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays—to review it. Additionally, the FEIS ignored the presence of significant tribal cultural resources and the project's impact on regional wildfire evacuation plans.

"The federal government ignored its duty to consult with the tribes that actually have ancestral and cultural ties to this land," said Mejia. "They pushed through an environmental review that failed to consider the impact on our communities, our economy, and even our ability to safely evacuate our people in the event of a wildfire."

A Fight for Fairness and Tribal Integrity

Lytton, Dry Creek, and Cloverdale—whose ancestors have lived in Sonoma County for thousands of years—have worked for decades to establish stable homelands and economic independence. Each has spent years navigating the land-into-trust process, ensuring compliance with legal requirements, and negotiating agreements with state and local governments.

"Koi has been shopping for a casino location for decades, bouncing from county to county, looking for the most profitable deal," said Mejia. "Meanwhile, our tribes have spent generations rebuilding our communities, securing our lands, and creating economic stability for our people. This decision puts all of that at risk."

The lawsuit seeks to overturn the DOI's approval, remove the Koi Nation's land from federal trust, and require the federal government to conduct a proper review process that includes meaningful tribal consultation and environmental assessments.

About Lytton Rancheria
The Lytton Rancheria of California is a federally recognized tribe with ancestral ties to Sonoma County. The tribe is committed to preserving its cultural heritage, fostering economic self-sufficiency, and supporting the well-being of its members and the broader community.

SOURCE Lytton Rancheria of California