House committee debates Indian tribe bill

September 24

In Washington, the House committee that is responsible for setting environmental policy seems to be ready to add almost 1000 acres to the Riverside County reservation of California's wealthy Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians.

Tribal chairman Mark Macarro and federal officials have announced at a House Resources Committee hearing this week, that the Bureau of Land Management property has no commercial value or development potential, and the tribe is better equipped to maintain it than the federal government.

One of the wealthiest tribes in Washington, Pechanga runs a casino in Temecula on a reservation that has land right next to the area in question. The anti-casino group Stand Up for California accused the tribe of seeking the land to pave the way for a second casino, but Macarro denied that.

He said the tribe wanted to add the land to its existing, 5,500-acre reservation to preserve more of its ancestral territory, gain greater ability to fight fires and ensure access to drinking-water runoff from the rocky terrain in the new territory.

Darrell Issa, the Representative who paid for the bill to position the land into trust for the tribe, also said he was satisfied no changes would be made to the remote area either.

The director for Stand Up for California put-out a letter that was addressed to Issa and Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo speaking out against the bill.

Macarro stated that any commercial construction of the land would oppose tribal zoning for the concerned property.

In return, Issa announced that he completely believes the legislation would pass the full House and Senate before Congress takes a recess.