Feds order new review of Yuba County casino plan

The Enterprise Rancheria casino planned for Yuba County is getting a second review by the federal Department of the Interior, after a conference committee of U.S. House and Senate members requested it Friday during discussions over a spending bill.

According to a copy of an appropriations bill for the department, the interior secretary should review the casino's status because of a lack of local support for the project.

"The evidentiary record provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs indicates that only two of the 33 elected officials or bodies that were consulted on these projects expressed support for them," according to text of the bill, which also refers a proposed casino in Madera County back to the department for further review.

The bill also refers to a 2005 Yuba County advisory vote showing 52 percent opposed to the casino.

"The conferees are also concerned that in one case, the Department appears to have largely ignored a popular vote which indicated a majority of the county was opposed to the construction of a casino on the site which was approved by the Department," the bill states.

According to the bill, the interior secretary has 60 days to review the initial claim by casino applicants of "strong local support" and share the findings with the conference committee.

A statement from Enterprise Rancheria's sponsoring tribe, the Estom Yumeka Maidu, stated they were concerned with how the committee apparently dismissed local support for the project.

"All the leading business chambers of Yuba County support the proposed project including the 800-member Yuba Sutter Chamber, the Yuba Sutter (Economic Development Corp.), Marysville (Business Improvement District), Yuba City (Downtown Business Association), North Valley Hispanic Chamber and others," reads the statement, from tribal spokesman Charles Altekruse. "As of today, over 3,000 individual support forms have been submitted by citizens in support of the project."

The statement also notes response from the public officials referred to in the bill was not obligatory, and recent polling has shown local support for the project.

"It's frustrating, because the goal lines keep shifting," Altekruse said. "It just appears the people opposed to this project are willing to change the rules on it and keep moving the goal lines to kill it."

It was not immediately clear who on the committee requested the Interior Department, which includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, take a second look at the casino plans.

However, statements from supporters and opponents of the casino indicated it was done at the behest of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., who has openly opposed the casino. Feinstein and her representatives could not be reached for comment Friday.

An adviser to another casino opponent, Oroville casino operator Mooretown Rancheria, said the move means the Estom Yumeka Maidu will have to argue why its off-reservation project should be approved.

"Now they will have to go before Congress and explain why Yuba voters voting no to a casino project is somehow community support," said adviser Josh Cook. "It will be very difficult."

It was not immediately clear how the further review by the federal government would affect the two-step process necessary for a casino project to be approved.

After the Interior Department signed off on the casino in September, Gov. Jerry Brown's office has up to a year to concur before the casino can happen.

His office has not indicated when or how he may decide.

CONTACT reporter Ben van der Meer at 749-4786.