Supervisor Steve Lavagnino sent a letter earlier this week to Northern California Congressmember Doug LaMalfa, addressing his concerns with LaMalfa’s federal legislation to bring the Chumash tribe’s Camp 4 into trust while reminding the representative that the supervisors’ decision to oppose the tribe’s wishes was not a unanimous one.
On October 23, about a week after the tribe unsuccessfully argued its case for the fee-to-trust to the supervisors, LaMalfa introduced HR 3313, which would annex the 1,400-acre Camp 4 property into the existing Chumash reservation. The supervisors’ vote against annexation — which was opposed only by Lavagnino — came after public outcry and concern from board members that doing so would remove the property from the county’s tax rolls and land-use rules. The bill wouldn’t, however, permit the Chumash to build a casino or resort on the land; the tribe has long said it only intends to build housing.
Lavagnino has repeatedly argued, along with 1st District Supervisor Carbajal, that refusing to recognize the tribe as an equal government would leave them little choice but to seek legislative help, an option the tribe has long said was on the table. Lavagnino’s letter, dated December 16, reiterated that.