BIA extends comments on Coquille Tribe casino land application

Thursday, March 7, 2013  

The Bureau of Indian Affairs has extended the comment period on the Coquille Tribe casino land-into-trust application.

Comments were due March 6 but the BIA agreed to a 60-day extension. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber (D) asked for more time.

"It's a first-of-its-kind application," a spokesperson for Kitzhaber told The Medford Mail Tribune.

The tribe plans a Class II facility at the 2.42-acre site in Medford. The tribe already operates the Mill Casino, a Class III facility in North Bend, over three hours away.

The tribe was restored to federal recognition through an act of Congress in 1989. The Coquille Restoration Act states that the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 "shall" apply to the tribe.

Another section states that the BIA "shall" accept up to 1,000 acres in trust for the tribe. Additional acquisitions beyond that limit will be processed under the IRA, according to the law.

Get the Story:
Playing it safe (The Medford Mail Tribune 3/7)
BIA Gives Governor 60 Day Extension to Weigh in On Medford Casino (KAJO 3/7)

Coquille Tribe sees movement on gaming land-into-trust bid (2/12)