Santa Barbara County filed a lawsuit in federal court on Jan. 28, seeking an injunction to block the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ (BIA) recent decision to annex new land into the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ reservation.
The Board of Supervisors voted in a closed session meeting in January to take legal action should the BIA put Camp 4, a 1,400-acre land parcel, into trust for the Chumash. On Jan. 20—10 days later—the BIA decided to do just that.
County Counsel Michael Ghizzoni told the Sun he couldn’t discuss details of the litigation, except only to refer to the case itself.
In the suit, the county accuses the BIA of “capricious action by issuing a decision to take over 1,400 acres of land in the Santa Ynez Valley,” or Camp 4.
The county believes that the defendants failed to follow regulatory guidelines concerning fee-to-trust acquisitions. Specifically, Ghizzoni said the defendants didn’t prepare a proper environmental impact statement and that the environmental assessment, which Ghizzoni called a “junior” assessment, wasn’t adequate.
“An environmental assessment is a very summary form of an environmental impact statement,” Ghizzoni told the Sun.
The U.S. Department of the Interior is also named as a defendant in the case.
When reached by the Sun, the Chumash declined to comment on the case.
The county’s issue with Camp 4 has been ongoing for years. Most recently, the county canceled a public negotiation meeting with the tribe shortly before the BIA’s decision.
Still, at least one supervisor remains committed to working with the Chumash. Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann didn’t return inquires made by the Sun before press time, although she issued a statement expressing her commitment to finding a solution.
“I am hopeful that through continued transparent negotiations and thoughtful engagement, the county and the tribe will reach a mutually satisfactory agreement,” Hartmann said in the statement.
This article appears in Feb 2-9, 2017.