The Coquille Indian Tribe's proposed Medford casino project moves forward despite opposition from neighboring tribes, as their request for a temporary restraining order against the U.S. Interior Department (DOI) was denied.

The DOI recently approved a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the casino project, bringing it one step closer to receiving federal trust status for gaming purposes. The Coquille Tribe claims ancestral ties to Medford, though it's located 168 miles away from their Coos Bay base.

A coalition including the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Karuk Tribe, and Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation filed a lawsuit on December 23 in Washington DC federal court. They challenged the DOI's authority to issue the FEIS, claiming it relied on invalid regulations from the Council on Environmental Quality. The tribes also alleged insufficient consultation regarding local impact.

U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta rejected their motion for an injunction, ruling that the FEIS isn't a final agency action and therefore cannot be challenged in court yet. The DOI's final record of decision (ROD) could come as soon as Monday.

Judy Farm, CEO of the Coquille Tribe's economic development arm, Tribal One, dismissed the lawsuit as competition-driven, noting opponents had "12 years to comment" during the permitting process.

The project faces additional opposition from Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and U.S. Congressional representatives from both Oregon and California.

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