The Koi Nation is shifting its tribal offices to a 68-acre vineyard parcel off East Shiloh Road near Windsor, reestablishing its headquarters there even as federal decisions and court rulings have stripped the land of the trust status that would have cleared a path for a casino project. Trailers rolling in and preliminary grading on the site have escalated tensions among the tribe, local officials and opponents over what is actually allowed while the fight plays out in court.
Federal reversal and reconveyance
In a Federal Register notice, the Bureau of Indian Affairs said it is removing the Shiloh parcel from trust status and reconveying the land back to Sonoma Rose LLC, with the agency’s final determination last Friday. According to Justia, the move carries out a federal court judgment that vacated Interior’s January 2025 decision to take the property into trust for the Koi Nation.
Tribe says it is moving in
The Koi Nation announced on Facebook on March 25 that it planned to move its tribal headquarters to the Shiloh site. Neighbors and reporters have since documented trailers on the land and early grading activity, according to The Press Democrat. Tribal spokesman Sam Singer told the newspaper the tribe is staying the course and proceeding with its plans despite the recent federal actions.
Project by the numbers
In environmental filings, the tribe has outlined a large-scale resort vision: roughly a 400-room hotel, a gaming floor in the hundreds of thousands of square feet and thousands of gaming machines, along with restaurants, meeting space and parking. Those documents also state that the Koi purchased the 68-acre parcel in September 2021 for about $12.3 million and describe the general footprint and amenities the tribe has proposed for the site.
Local officials weigh in
County permitting staff report there is no record of recent construction permits for the Shiloh property, and neighborhood groups have urged Sonoma County to look into the activity taking place there. Permit Sonoma director Scott Orr confirmed to The Press Democrat that no permits have been requested or issued recently for 222 E. Shiloh Road. At the same time, the Town of Windsor is still accepting public comment on the federal environmental review.
Legal outlook
The broader conflict is now in the appellate arena. The case is before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and remains active while briefing and mediation continue. The Ninth Circuit docket shows the appeal is underway, which means the ultimate fate of the site, and whether federal trust status could be restored, will be settled through a slower legal process.
For now, the Koi Nation’s decision to place offices and equipment on the Shiloh parcel has created a tense holding pattern. Neighbors and county officials are watching closely for any enforcement steps or additional federal action, while the tribe maintains it is reestablishing a land base it views as historically and economically vital to its members. What happens next will depend on the appellate timetable and any follow-up moves the Department of the Interior may take after the courts are finished.
