Chairman of Graton Rancheria Wants to Fund State Parks in Exchange for Gambling Rights

The chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria wants to give $2.5 million to regional and state parks in Sonoma County in exchange for receiving a 20-year agreement from the state to allow gaming at the tribe’s proposed Rohnert Park casino.

Greg Sarris made the announcement Friday night at a meeting of top park officials and local representatives in Santa Rosa, held to discuss ways to prevent the impending closure of 70 state parks.

“It’s a natural fit in many ways,” said Sarris, who teaches creative writing at Sonoma State University. “The tribes want to work and take care of the land.”

Graton Rancheria has land in trust in Rohnert Park where it wants to build a casino resort, a project that is widely controversial. At the same time, the tribe is already working on a variety of conservation projects around the county, including at Tolay Lake, where tribal elders give educational tours and conduct enrichment programs for visitors.

Friday’s announcement received a mixed reaction from the crowd. Opponents of the casino say it will degrade the quality of life in Rohnert Park, while others believe the proposal would provide a steady stream of revenue to state and regional parks at a critical time.

Stay tuned as we update the story on Monday, including with interview from Sarris and others.