BIA undertaking additional endangered species analysis
If enacted, H.R. 317 would short-circuit the BIA’s analysis of Camp 4 environmental impacts and deny residents their right to challenge this action in federal court. If passed and signed into law, the bill would give the 138-person Santa Ynez Chumash Tribe a blank check to ultimately develop the 1,400-acre Camp 4 parcel in the Santa Ynez Valley north of Santa Barbara in any manner they wish, including massive commercial development or entertainment complex.
Upon House passage of H.R. 317, the bill now goes to the Senate.
“It is disappointing that the House of Representatives, including our own local Congressman, again chose to further enrich a wealthy special interest at the expense of local residents. Instead of allowing the federal agency to address the deficiencies identified by the Federal Court, it chose to cut that process short and deny residents their day in Court,” said Bill Krauch, Chair of the Santa Ynez Valley Coalition. “We are committed to again making our case in the U.S. Senate which is where the previous versions of this legislation failed.”
The mission of the Santa Ynez Valley Coalition is ensuring that the Santa Ynez Valley residents have a voice in land use decisions affecting our water, environment, public safety, and economy and opposes “Fee to Trust” efforts by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The Coalition engages in outreach and education efforts with policymakers and residents regarding the importance of maintaining local control of land use in the Santa Ynez Valley.
For more about the Coalition go to http://www.SYVCoalition.com