Officials in Barstow, California, continue to support an off-reservation casino for the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians.

The city council approved a letter of support for the $433 million project last month. Jobs and revenue are the biggest draws, officials said.

But the tribe faces big hurdles. The Bush administration rejected the casino because Barstow is more than 100 miles from the reservation.

The Obama administration restarted the process and the Bureau of Indian Affairs has prepared a new environmental impact statement. Most people voiced support the project at a public hearing conducted a year ago.

Since then, there appears to have been little movement from the BIA. The tribe hasn't negotiated a Class III gaming compact either.

Get the Story:
Northern California off-reservation casino could be model for Barstow (The Desert Dispatch 7/26)

Federal Register Notice:
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians' 23-Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel Project, City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, CA (July 1, 2011)

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