The Bureau of Indian Affairs’ final environmental impact report on the request by a Southern California tribe to put land into trust was processed in record time.
A BIA official, Chad Broussard, who specializes in environmental review, said the review of the proposal by the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeño Indians to put land in Barstow, California—more than 100 miles from its San Diego County home— into trust for a casino could take from 30 days to two years or longer. It actually took closer to 30 days. The report was released on April 18.
Shortly after the environmental document was released, even a fire burning on Interstate 15 did not prevent tribal Chairman Shane Chapparosa from personally delivering the news to the city council. That removes one more hurdle to the $160 million casino the tribe, with the city’s cooperation, hopes to build.
Chapparosa declared, “Today we need to celebrate for many reasons. The study shows no negative impact to the site or the community. As a tribe, that’s very important. That is why we worked so very hard with the city to choose a location that would benefit both the city and the tribe.”
The public has 30 days from the issuance of the EIR to comment on it.
