The Interior Department has steamrolled community objections and its own established process to fast-track approval of the proposed Shiloh Resort and Casino in our community of Windsor, California.

 

The project would imperil the lives of local residents by cramming more traffic onto an already-congested wildfire evacuation route. This would add hours to escape times during emergencies in which life-or-death outcomes are measured in minutes.

 

Sonoma County, which includes the town, has experienced 29 wildfires since 2008, including the 2019 Kincade Fire, the largest in the county’s history. That disaster torched 78,000 acres, an area more than double the size of San Francisco. The latest wildfire tore through the area in mid-September. Drier, hotter conditions brought on by climate change are only making fires more frequent and intense.

 

A broad array of stakeholders, from the community and our local leaders to Gov. Gavin Newsom and a majority of California’s congressional delegation, are loudly opposed to this effort. You can read the mounting letters of opposition here.

 

Nevertheless, our community of Windsor strongly fears that Washington bureaucrats will turn a deaf ear to our outcry.

 

Please join us in writing emails or letters urging the Department of Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Scott Davis to put people over profits and stop the Shiloh project before our lives, livelihoods, and shared environment are put at risk.

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Letters/Emails should be addressed to: 

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Scott Davis
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior

Exercising the delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W. MS-4660-MIB
Washington, DC 20240

 

And/or emailed to Email to: consultation@bia.gov

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Sample letters can be found below. Customize to match your own circumstances/concerns.

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Sample Letter

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Scott Davis
Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Interior

Exercising the delegated authority of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W. MS-4660-MIB
Washington, DC 20240

 

Dear Assistant Secretary Davis,

 

My name is [Your Name], and I am writing to ask for your help in protecting our community in Windsor, California.

There is widespread and growing opposition to the previous Administration’s approval of the Koi Nation’s fee-to-trust transfer of unincorporated land in Santa Rosa adjacent to the Town of Windsor for the development of a hotel and casino complex.

Unfortunately, the prior Administration failed to adequately evaluate the significant and far-reaching impacts that this project will have on our region. Critical concerns raised by local residents and Sonoma County officials were overlooked or ignored. The process has left our community feeling unheard and unsupported.

Specifically, we are deeply concerned that the Department of the Interior did not follow adequate procedures under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). There was insufficient analysis of major issues including wildfire risks, increased traffic congestion, and strain on our already limited water and wastewater infrastructure.

We recently learned of your decision to rescind the gaming eligibility determination for the Scotts Valley Tribe’s proposed project in Vallejo, California in order to “ensure all evidence has been fully considered.” We believe that our situation in Windsor with the Koi Nation’s proposed casino and resort merits the same level of scrutiny.

Therefore, we respectfully request that you rescind the Koi Nation’s gaming eligibility determination until a more thorough and transparent review can be conducted, including meaningful input from the local community.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your consideration of our request. We hope you will act to ensure that our voices are heard and that the integrity of the environmental review process is upheld.

 

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
A Concerned Resident of Windsor, California

 

Sample Email: 

(Regular mail is preferred. But you can Email to: consultation@bia.gov) 

 

Subject: Request to Rescind Gaming Eligibility Determination for Koi Nation Casino Project in Windsor, CA

Dear Assistant Secretary Davis,

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My name is [Your Name], and I’m writing as a concerned resident of Windsor, California, to respectfully request your help in protecting our community.

There is massive local opposition to the previous Administration’s approval of the Koi Nation’s fee-to-trust transfer of unincorporated land in Santa Rosa—adjacent to the Town of Windsor—for the development of a hotel and casino project.

The previous Administration failed to fully assess the significant and far-reaching impacts this project will have on our surrounding community and Sonoma County at large. Community input was largely disregarded, and we believe that the Department of the Interior did not adhere to proper National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures—especially regarding wildfire risk, traffic congestion, and water/wastewater infrastructure.

We were encouraged by your recent decision to rescind the gaming eligibility determination for the Scotts Valley Tribe’s proposed development in Vallejo to ensure that all evidence was fully considered. We are in an identical situation here in Windsor. For that reason, we respectfully urge you to take the same step with the Koi Nation’s gaming eligibility determination and pause this process until a more complete and transparent review—including meaningful local input—can be completed.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We deeply appreciate your leadership and attention to this matter.

 

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
Windsor, CA [ZIP Code]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]

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