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MEDFORD, Ore. — An arrangement allowing Oregon tribes to operate only a single casino on their established lands appears set to be overturned by an announcement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
A statement released on Friday confirmed that the environmental impact statement had been finalized for a casino the Coquille Indian Tribe wants to build in Medford. The tribe owns and operates The Mill Casino along U.S. 101 in North Bend.
Coquille Tribe A Step Closer To Second Casino
The Coquille tribe plans to renovate an existing building in Medford into an approximately 30,000-square-foot casino with 650 gaming machines and parking nearby.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs said this would attract and maintain a long-term, sustainable revenue stream for the tribal government, enabling them to deliver vital programs and services to their members.
The environmental impact study looked at three other possibilities aside from the Medford site: doing nothing, expanding the Mill Casino by 5,000 square feet, or building a Phoenix casino of similar size.
The Medford site was the preferred choice for the federal authorities, who would see the Coquille tribe transfer 2.42 acres of its land in Medford to the federal government in a trust governed by the tribe.
The Medford City Council met on Thursday night to discuss conditional neutrality regarding the casino application. The result was a narrow passing of Council Bill 2023-23.
Objections To Second Coquille Tribe Casino
There is a 30-day public comment period, and comments can be submitted to:
- Bryan Mercier Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Region 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, OR 97232. or
- Tobiah Mogavero at email at [email protected].
“FEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project” should be in as the subject line and comments should include your name and return address.
Objections have been received from several tribes across Southern Oregon & Northern California to the proposed Coquille casino in Medford.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe indicated that the proposed casino would cause economic harm to other tribes. Michael Rondeau, CEO of the Cow Creek Tribe, said their tribe would be impacted by about 25%.
The chair of the Coquille Indian Tribe, Brenda Meade, earlier gave the example of the Three Rivers Casino in Coos Bay, owned and operated by the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians situated three miles from the Coquille Tribe’s casino. Meade said their decision to support the casino has seen both tribes thrive.
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