Reversal of Federal Trust Land Acquisition for Koi Nation of Northern California – Shiloh Site, Sonoma County
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
On September 30, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California invalidated and vacated the Department of the Interior's January 13, 2025 decision to acquire 68.60 acres known as the Shiloh Parcel in Sonoma County, California, into federal trust for the Koi Nation of Northern California. The acquisition had been intended for gaming and other tribal purposes and was formally announced in the Federal Register on January 17, 2025 (90 FR 5980). The court ruling came in the case Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria v. United States Department of the Interior, et al. (No. 3:24-cv-8582), with Final Judgment issued as ECF No. 155. The lawsuit was brought by the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, a neighboring tribe that opposed the trust acquisition, likely on competitive gaming and jurisdictional grounds. As a direct consequence of the court order, the Department of the Interior is now removing the 68.60-acre Shiloh Parcel from federal trust status entirely. All rights, title, and interest in the property are being reconveyed in fee simple back to the prior owner, Sonoma Rose LLC, effectively returning the land to private ownership. This action represents a significant legal setback for the Koi Nation's efforts to establish a tribal gaming facility on the Shiloh site, and highlights ongoing inter-tribal legal conflicts over trust land acquisitions in California.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Court vacated DOI's January 13, 2025 decision to take 68.60 acres (Shiloh Parcel, Sonoma County) into federal trust for the Koi Nation of Northern California
- Federal Register notice 90 FR 5980 (January 17, 2025) formally nullified by court order dated September 30, 2025
- 68.60-acre Shiloh Parcel removed from federal trust status effective immediately per court order
+ 3 more changes with Pro
Obligations
What this law requires
Remove the 68.60-acre Shiloh Parcel in Sonoma County, California from federal trust status
Reconvey all right, title, and interest in the Shiloh Parcel property back to Sonoma Rose LLC in fee simple
Execute the property reconveyance to Sonoma Rose LLC in accordance with the Final Judgment (ECF No. 155) issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
Void the January 13, 2025 Department of the Interior decision to acquire the Shiloh Parcel in trust for the Koi Nation of Northern California
Reverse the Federal Register notice published January 17, 2025 (90 FR 5980) announcing the trust land acquisition