The BIA\u2019s decision comes about three years after tribal leaders requested the relocation. Porterville is a town of about 60,000 located halfway between Fresno and Bakersfield just west of the Sequoia National Forest.<\/p>\n
After years of hard work, the federal government moved the Tribe\u2019s casino relocation one step closer to making this dream a reality,\u201d said Tribal Chairman Neil Peyron in a statement.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
According to a tribal news release, the governor has a year from the BIA\u2019s decision, which was officially rendered last month, to give his approval.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposal is under review at this time,\u201d said Vicky Waters, Newsom\u2019s deputy director of media and public affairs, in an email to Casino.org<\/em>.<\/p>\nPeyron said tribal leaders plan to meet with Newsom on the project.<\/p>\n
Water Concerns Cited for Move<\/h2>\n In its release, the tribe cited economic and ecological reasons for requesting the move. Specifically, the reservation endures water restrictions that has led to ban on all new construction projects.<\/p>\n
Relocating the casino to Porterville will enable the tribe to reallocate its water resources. That could lead to 100 or more housing units being built on the reservation.<\/p>\n
The current casino would be transformed into used for education, healthcare, and tribal government offices. The existing restaurants will remain open.<\/p>\n
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The proposed casino will be built on 40 acres of ancestral land for the tribe located adjacent to the town\u2019s airport. The tribe will also build a water treatment plant so the new development would not affect the community\u2019s water supply.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The water used at the casino will be recycled and reused for agricultural and other purposes.<\/p>\n
Currently, the tribe employs about 510 workers. The tribe\u2019s proposed casino would employ nearly double the workforce, not including the workers needed for construction.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe proposed casino relocation will benefit our Tribe and tribal members, customers, employees, as well as the local community,\u201d Peyron said.<\/p>\n
City Supports Move<\/h2>\n In a website touting the proposal, tribal officials claim the new Eagle Mountain Casino will allow the Porterville community easier access to gaming, as they cite roads to the current location are accident and flood-prone.<\/p>\n
They also say the new venue will provide amenities currently not available in town, such as a convention center.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe City and the Tribe possess a strong collaborative relationship which led to an agreement on a Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed casino relocation, and together we urge and support Governor Newsom\u2019s approval for the proposed relocation,\u201d Porterville City Manager John Lollis told The Recorder<\/em>, the city\u2019s newspaper.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A California tribal nation has received federal approval to relocate its casino. Now, it awaits the signoff by Gov. Gavin Newsom in order to proceed with the project. The Tule River Indian Tribe of California got the OK from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to relocate its Eagle Mountain Casino from its reservation to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":119248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[61,18456],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Tule River Tribe Gets Federal OK to Move California Casino<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n