A bill that would place a large parcel of land near the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians reservation into federal trust has been re-introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.
HR 1157 was introduced Friday by Rep. Doug LaMalfa, a Republican representing California’s 1st District, and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
LaMalfa is the same legislator who submitted a bill in October 2013 asking for the same action.
The bill will mirror the sentiment of HR 3313 — explicitly prohibiting gambling on the land known as Camp 4 — and was merely re-introduced because a new Congress is in session, according to Hildy Medina, a spokeswoman for the Chumash Tribe.
HR 3313 never made it out of its first House committee.
The new bill would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Interior to take the 1,433-acre agriculture parcel and place it into federal trust, making it part of the tribe’s sovereign territory and removing it from the county’s tax rolls and planning-processes oversight.
The local tribe appears to be covering all its bases while it awaits a final decision from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, which approved the Chumash’s fee-to-trust application in late 2014 but must consider appeals from the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors and other Santa Ynez Valley organizations to make the act official.
A hearing date has not yet been set, according to Third District county Supervisor Doreen Farr, who represents the Santa Ynez Valley.
Chumash officials bought the land in question along Highway 246 from the late Fess Parker in 2010, and have said they plan to build homes for tribal families.
HR 1157 was backed by eight cosponsors — three more than the previous bill iteration and without two of the original supporters.
Current cosponsors include Rep. Tony Cardenas, D-CA; Rep. Tom McClintock, R-CA; Rep. Jeff Denham, R-CA; Rep. Devin Nunes, R-CA; Rep. David Valadao, R-CA; Rep. Paul Cook, R-CA; Rep. Betty McCollum, D-MN; and Rep. Tom Cole, R-OK.
“We thank Congressman LaMalfa and the cosponsors for their leadership in helping bring attention to the importance of tribal sovereignty and self-determination, not only for our tribe but for all Native Americans who are working toward restoring their ancestral lands,” Chumash Tribal Chairman Vincent Armenta said in a statement Tuesday. “We look forward to working with Congress to ensure the passage of this important legislation.”
He said just 17 percent of tribal members and lineal descendants live on the Santa Ynez reservation, and, contrary to misconceptions, no gaming would occur on Camp 4.
Actual text for HR 1157 was not available Tuesday afternoon.
Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, said her opposition to the bill hasn’t changed.
“I am disappointed in the reintroduction of the Camp 4 legislation, and have made it clear to my colleagues that I will continue to oppose this bill,” she said in a statement. “I know Camp 4 remains a big concern for many people and, as I have said from the beginning, I believe this is a local issue that should be worked out between the county and the tribe – not through federal legislation.”
Farr said her opposition was also as staunch as ever, adding that the county’s legislative committee would monitor progress of the bill, which saw strong criticism the first time around from county officials and residents.
“We remain vigilant on all issues that affect the quality of life in the county,” she said.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.