December 18, 2024 2:50 a.m.

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians is responding after Governor Tina Kotek asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to extend the 30-day public comment period regarding a Medford casino that has been proposed by the Coquille Indian Tribe.

Tribal Chairman Carla Keene said, “Its very encouraging that the Governor’s Office has requested an extension. We also believe that the first urban, off-reservation casino in Oregon deserves adequate time for thoughtful evaluation and consultation, not just the holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas”. Keene said, “The state’s position of “One Casino Per Tribe” works, and should not be circumnavigated by anyone”.

Governor Kotek’s letter submitted late last week said, “this decision carries significant implications for Oregon’s communities, economic landscape, and broader state interests. It is critical to ensure that all stakeholders, tribal nations, local governments, and residents alike have sufficient time to thoughtfully consider the FEIS and provide meaningful feedback”.

Keene said, “We have said continually that a casino in Medford is bad for the people living there, and it will irreversibly alter the abilities of the other five Tribes to care for their people and communities”. Keene said, “These are big impacts that will reverberate, not just around Oregon, but across the Northwest, allowing tribes to leapfrog to the next big city”.

For information on how the public can register comments, and to get details about the Cow Creek’s opposition to proposed casino in Medford, go to: https://www.cowcreek-nsn.gov/no-medford-casino/