Site in Barstow, California, where Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians wants to build an off-reservation casino. Photo from Barstow Casino and Resort
After more than a decade of work, the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians is closer to an off-reservation casino in California. The tribe started the process in 2002. The effort was dealt a major blow when the Bush administration rejected it in January 2008, saying the site in Barstow was too far from the reservation. The Obama administration rescinded the policy in June 2011 and the tribe started the process all over again. After a new round of public hearings, the final environmental impact statement was released on Friday. "We are looking forward to reviewing the study, as we are confident that it will demonstrate that the proposed project will be beneficial to both our tribe and to the Barstow community," Chairman Shane Chapperosa said in a press release. It is our hope that completion of this procedural step will bring our tribal members and the citizens of Barstow one step closer to hundreds of jobs, opportunity and self-sufficiency.” The local community supports the $160 million Barstow Casino and Resort, giving it a better chance at succeeding. The Bureau of Indian Affairs will now take public comments on the EIS before making a decision. “This is a significant step in the process, and we are hopeful the BIA will work expeditiously to issue a final decision on the tribe's application for this land so this important project can be made a reality," Barstow Mayor Julie Hackbarth-McIntyre said in the press release. The tribe is pursuing the casino under the two-part determination provisions of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. If the BIA approves, the Gov. Jerry Brown (D) will have veto authority. Brown has concurred with two off-reservation casinos that were submitted through the two-part determination process. Get the Story:
Casino's final impact statement released (The Desert Dispatch 4/19) Federal Register Notice:
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Proposed Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeňo Indians 23-Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel Project, City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, California (April 18, 2014)
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