Thursday, June 21, 2012

Local groups applaud ‘standing’ ruling

The president of a local environmental watchdog group is “very pleased” with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday in favor of a Michigan man challenging a decision by the Secretary of the Interior to take land into trust for an Indian tribe to build a casino. In an 8-1 decision, the Supreme Court said David Patchak has legal “standing” to challenge Interior Secretary Ken Salazar‘s acquisition for the Gun Lake Tribe, thus allowing his lawsuit to proceed. Patchak challenged the way the government took the land into trust for the tribe, saying that the move was illegal because the tribe had not been recognized by the government in 1934 when the Indian Reorganization Act was passed. In the Santa Ynez Valley, the decision in favor of the plaintiff will essentially allow residents and community groups to legally dispute attempts by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians to expand their reservation. Hildy Medina, spokeswoman for the Chumash, said the tribe would have no comment on this week’s Supreme Court ruling. The Chumash have indicated their desire to add 1,400 acres, about 2 miles east of the casino, at Highways 246 and 154 to their 130-acre reservation either through the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ fee-to-trust process or by direct federal legislation. If made part of the reservation, the land would become exempt from local and state taxes and local planning and zoning laws...more

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