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For more than 20 years, San Diego County has barred its 18 federally recognized tribes from expanding their reservations, a reaction prompted by concerns over a sudden surge of casino construction.
That blanket prohibition was lifted Wednesday by the Board of Supervisors, who voted to end their decades-long opposition to fee-to-trust applications, the process by which tribes can petition to annex property. The practice has long been a source of contention for local Indigenous tribes, who need to transfer the land they purchase into trust in order to build housing and essential resources.
The board also voted to remove absolute opposition to liquor licenses on tribal lands and to establish a liaison between the tribes and the county