Oregon governor Tina Kotek has requested an extension on the public comment period regarding a proposed future casino in Medford.
A 30-day comment period was issued for the Coquille Indian Tribe’s work toward building a new casino over 150 miles away from the Tribe’s reservation.
Now, Gov. Kotek has expressed their wishes to have the comment period extended through the holiday season.
Gov. Kotek formalized her request through a letter written to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Oregon senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Rep. Cliff Bentz, also joined California governor Gavin Newsom and 20 other members of congress in asking U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to reevaluate how approvals of such casino projects are made, according to the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians.
The Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe has expressed disapproval with the project, with representatives calling the casino efforts a disappointment for local tribes and their economy.
The comment period is set to end Dec. 24, but that deadline has received criticism from the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe for being too close to the holidays, a busy time of the year for many.
“It’s really been poor timing on behalf of the Bureau of Indian Affairs to have a comment period end on Christmas Eve, and unfortunately that’s probably intentional,” said Lindsay Campman, the tribe’s Communications and Marketing Director. “They would prefer these issues are swept under the rug without others noticing. The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians has asked repeatedly for meetings and we continue to be brushed off with no real answers. We are hoping comments from the public will finally be heard that a casino is bad for Medford and bad for Southern Oregon and Northern California tribes.”
Following Kotek, Wyden, and Bentz getting involved with the process, Campman said the Tribe has high hopes for the extension after receiving an abundance of community support.
“Since that time, we have been able to reach dozens and dozens of our tribal citizens, of our community partners, of the people who really enjoy working with the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe and they have said how can we help,” Campman said. “What can we do? What’s the most important thing for us to do right now?”
An extension for the comment period has not been granted. To learn more about the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and their work against the casino, visit their website here.
0
20
20
