Editorial: Middle ground with Chumash Tribe remains elusive

The battle over what is to become of Camp 4 is very much like the disputes between the tribe and its critics over just about anything tribal officials decide to pursue. The Chumash obviously have the resources to undertake nearly any type of commercial and/or residential development.

In fact, the tribe's announced intentions for the Camp 4 land are fairly clear - take a portion of the property and develop housing for tribal members, many of whom are crammed onto a few acres near the tribe's casino/hotel complex. They've been locked in on the reservation for many years, but until the relatively recent soaring success of the casino/resort haven't had the financial means to extricate themselves and resettle in digs better suiting their mushrooming wealth.

But, as usual, there are problems. The tribe's critics don't like the way the Chumash choose to conduct their business, the latest affront being the tribe's application to the federal government to annex the 1,390-acres of Camp 4 into the reservation through a fee-to-trust process.