A view of the land-into-trust site. Photo from Chumash EA
Santa Barbara County in California has filed an appeal that challenges the approval of a land-into-trust application for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The Bureau of Indian Affairs approved the application in December. The tribe plans to use the 1,400-acre site for housing and other purposes. The BIA's environmental assessment consisted of more than 2,300 pages of analysis, comments and review. The county, however, claims the review was faulty and insufficient.
Map existing reservation of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The land-into-trust site is outlined in red. Image from Camp 4 Fee-to-Trust Environmental Assessment
The county also claims the BIA failed to place greater scrutiny on the application because the 1,400-acre site is not contiguous to the tribe's existing reservation. The appeal was filed with the Interior Board of Indian Appeals. According to The Santa Barbara Independent, at least two opposition group are expected to file their own appeals. Get the Story:
County Appeals Federal Camp 4 Approval (The Santa Barbara Independent 1/26)
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