The Menominee Nation of Wisconsin will be getting an answer on its off-reservation casino project under a settlement with the Obama administration.

The tribe sued when the Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected the casino in January 2009, just days before President Barack Obama took office. The Bush administration said the gaming site, in Kenosha, was too far from the reservation.

But now that Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk has rescinded the controversial "guidance memo" that was used to kill the project, the tribe will get another shot. The BIA has agreed to review the casino application again and to provide an update within 45 days.

“This is great news for our tribe, Kenosha, and the state of Wisconsin," Chairman Randal Chevalier said today. "Settlement of this lawsuit allows us to move forward in our efforts to bring thousands of quality jobs and a huge boost to the economy of the state.”

The tribe will be able to submit additional information if the BIA requests it. “We still have a lot of work to do but with the withdrawal of the off-reservation guidance and the settlement of this lawsuit means that the tribe will finally get the fair review that it has been entitled to all along," Chevalier said.

If the BIA approves the application, it will be sent to Gov. Scott Walker (R) for his review under the two-part determination section of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. If he concurs, the tribe will be able to open the off-reservation casino once the land is placed into trust.

"We are excited to see this project move forward and build a foundation to benefit both the Tribe and state of Wisconsin during these critical economic times," Chevalier said.

The tribe plans to convert the old Dairyland Greyhound Track into a casino. The site is about 200 miles from the reservation.

Bush Administration Off-Reservation Gaming Policy:
Guidance on taking off-reservation land into trust for gaming purposes (January 3, 2008)

Related Stories:
Tribes hopeful with reversal on off-reservation gaming policy (6/15)
Echo Hawk pulls controversial off-reservation gaming memo (6/14)

From the Indianz.Com Archive:
Wisconsin tribe vows fight for off-reservation casino (1/8)