Scotts Valley Tribe Seeks Dismissal of Three Lawsuits Challenging Vallejo Land-Trust Approval

The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians has filed motions to dismiss three federal lawsuits challenging the tribe’s land-into-trust approval for a proposed $700 million casino in Vallejo, intensifying a multilayered legal fight over the future of the project.

The motions, filed on December 5, target cases brought by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, the Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation (Cortina Rancheria), and the United Auburn Indian Community (Auburn Rancheria). All three tribes argue that the Department of the Interior (DOI) erred when it approved the Vallejo parcel for Scotts Valley earlier this year.

Tribe Says Opposition is Economic

Scotts Valley directly challenged the motivations behind the lawsuits.

“These lawsuits attempt to derail the Tribe’s long-awaited opportunity for economic self-sufficiency,” said Chairman Shawn Davis in a news release as reported by the Vallejo Times-Herald.

“Scotts Valley will vigorously defend its rights, its future, and its sovereignty. We won’t be bullied by competitors who put their profits over what’s right.“

The three opponent tribes have argued that the Vallejo casino site lies within their own ancestral territory. Their suits question whether the agency appropriately evaluated the historical record and whether the parcel qualifies under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) for restored-lands gaming.

Scotts Valley pushed back on those claims. The tribe maintained that the challenges are intended to block competition rather than address historical or legal issues.

Land Already in Trust, Tribe Stresses

A central element of the tribe’s argument remains the trust status itself. Previously, it told the Times-Herald:

“The land is already in trust for the Tribe, and reconsideration would not alter the sovereign status of the Tribe’s homeland in Vallejo.”

This trust status, established in January, is distinct from the DOI’s ongoing review of whether the parcel qualifies as “restored lands” for casino gaming. That reconsideration was accelerated last week. The department told the tribe that its earlier approval “may have been based on a ‘legal error.’”

The DOI launched its reconsideration in March. The Scotts Valley then filed a suit to block the reconsideration process.

On October 30, a federal judge affirmed the DOI’s authority to reevaluate the gaming eligibility. He also ruled that the agency violated the tribe’s constitutional due process rights by rescinding the project’s eligibility without notice.

Tribe Frames Project as Economic Engine

Scotts Valley continues to present the Vallejo development as a significant economic opportunity for the region. Davis reiterated that position in comments reported by the Times-Herald:

“Scotts Valley remains fully committed to developing opportunities on its trust land that will bring jobs, economic growth, and community investment to the City of Vallejo,” said Davis. “We continue to move forward to build shared opportunity and prosperity.”

The proposed 160-acre casino resort will include a 24/7 casino, 24 single-family residences, tribal offices, a parking structure, and a 45-acre biological preserve. It would be located near the intersection of Interstate 80 and Highway 37.

The tribe has emphasized jobs, economic diversification, and long-term partnerships with the city as key components of the project’s value.

Opponent tribes have maintained that the parcel’s history and ancestral claims should preclude gaming development. Their filings argue that the DOI’s approval was flawed and that the trust acquisition should not have been completed.

What Comes Next

The motions to dismiss aim to resolve the challenges before they proceed to full briefing. If granted, the rulings would remove the three lawsuits from the path of the Vallejo project. That would leave the DOI’s gaming determination as the main remaining federal hurdle.

If the motions are denied, the cases would proceed to arguments over whether the DOI’s trust decision was lawful. Reversing the decision wouldn’t be unprecedented. Earlier this year, a federal judge blocked the Koi Nation’s Shiloh casino project in Sonoma County. The court concluded that the DOI erred in its land-into-trust analysis.

For now, the litigation remains active while the DOI’s parallel reconsideration process continues. The tribe maintains its position that the land’s trust status is secure and that the lawsuits lack legal footing.