California’s Governor Gavin Newsom has approved of the relocation of the Eagle Mountain Casino to property the tribe purchased near the Porterville airport. It would include a 250-room hotel, 29,000 square feet of convention space, dining and a 1,700 seat entertainment center.
With the governor’s approval in August of tribal state gaming compact with the Tule River Tribe the next step is for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the land into trust.
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors recently passed a letter endorsing the move. The letter, which was sent to Rep. Kevin McCarthy, says the relocation will bring economic benefits to the county and asks the congressman to support fee-to-trust application to the BIA.
The letter by Board of Supervisors Chairman Board Chairman Peter Vander Poel says, “As we understand it, the only remaining action is the administrative process of issuing the decision and taking the land into trust,” and notes, “The deadline for this action is October 2; otherwise, the Tribe would need to re-start the entire process.”
The letter adds, “Because of the importance of the Relocation Project to the local community, we request that the completion of this process be a priority and completed as expeditiously as possible. The Relocation Project will result in several direct and indirect benefits to the County, including job creation, road improvements, a payment in lieu of taxes to the County, and an increase in economic development activity surrounding the Relocation Project.”
The tribe has also committed to pay for relocating fire services and building a new Sheriff’s substation in Porterville, says the letter.
