Feds Approve Chumash Camp 4 Plans
Appeals All but Certain
In what the tribe labeled a “landmark ruling” that county representatives vowed will be appealed, the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) granted the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ controversial plan to annex 1,400 acres of Santa Ynez Valley land — known as Camp 4 — into its existing reservation. The 36-page ruling came on Christmas Eve but not as a surprise to the players involved, given the favorable 557-page environmental analysis released by the agency in October.
The approval marks one of the final steps in a saga that heated up nearly 18 months ago when the Chumash submitted their annexation application to the BIA. But a bevy of concerns expressed by valley residents, environmental groups, and the County of Santa Barbara over the tribe’s takeover of the property — especially in the wake of fast-moving plans to expand the existing reservation to include a 12-story hotel tower — could mean appeals that may tie up the property’s future for years to come.
Last month, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-2, with Supervisors Salud Carbajal and Steve Lavagnino against, to appeal the aforementioned environmental study — which county officials argued wasn’t thorough enough — and initiate legal proceedings should the BIA grant the tribe’s request. On Tuesday, County Counsel Michael Ghizzoni noted that vote and said the county has 30 days to file its appeal with the federal Interior Board of Indian Appeals.
