"Does your vision of the Santa Ynez Valley include a 30-story casino, perhaps large box stores, an outlet mall or even a new city at highways 154/246 at the gateway of Santa Ynez?

Well, that is all possible on the 1,400 acres that the Chumash Casino tribe recently acquired, and is now seeking to have transferred from “Fee to Trust” not through the normal process via an application with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Rather, the Chumash Casino tribe has asked Congressman Elton Gallegly to sponsor legislation through Congress that effectively bypasses the BIA process and the legal standing this community has won through the court system.

Congressman Gallegly has stated that before he considers such sponsorship, he would want to see the support of the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Solvang – not the some 22,000 Valley citizens.

If any of this concerns you, please make plans to attend our Friday, Aug. 26, Town Hall Meeting (Vet’s Hall, Solvang, 6 p.m.) We are going to have to come out in mass to demonstrate to our representatives that we don’t want this legislative approach."

Get the Story:
Kathy Cleary: Is this your vision of the future of our Valley? (The Santa Ynez Valley Journal 8/4)

Related Stories:
Group seeks field hearing on Chumash Tribe land-into-trust bid (7/28)
Chumash Tribe wants to discuss land-into-trust bid with county (6/30)
Opinion: Enough is enough with Chumash Tribe's land grab (4/14)
Opinion: Evidence shows Chumash Tribe's legitimacy in doubt (4/8)
Column: The Chumash Tribe and a fix to land-into-trust ruling (3/31)
Letter: Rep. Gallegly plays politics on Chumash land-into-trust (3/24)
Editorial: Chumash Tribe should forego land-into-trust process (3/17)
Opinion: Chumash Tribe lobbying Rep. Gallegly on land-into-trust (3/10)
Local official claims Chumash Tribe doesn't need land-into-trust (3/8)
Opinion: Groups fight Chumash Tribe land-into-trust application (2/24)
Groups claim Chumash Tribe can't follow land-into-trust process (08/23)
Groups question BIA review of Chumash land-into-trust (4/29)
Opinion: Chumash Tribe wields influence on land-into-trust (04/08)
Chumash Tribe purchases ranch property for reported $40M (4/6)
BIA reaches MOU for California land-into-trust consortium (4/1)
Groups claim BIA wants to study Chumash land-into-trust (3/29)
Groups file first brief over Chumash land-into-trust (02/22)
Groups battle BIA over Chumash land-into-trust (11/12)
California a battleground after land-into-trust ruling (3/6)