The fate of a proposed wind energy project that would install 60 turbines hundreds of feet high in rural East County is up in the air, after a California court granted an appeal to a local group opposed to its construction. Ranchers Donna and Joe Tisdale .formed a group called Backcountry Against Dumps that filed a petition in San Diego Superior Court, arguing — among other complaints — the project violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and various planning and zoning regulations. The Superior Court dismissed the petition but on March 13, a three-justice panel at the Fourth Appellate District issued a 25-page ruling that vacated the Superior Court’s decision, saying that “equity dictates that the trial court allow the petition to proceed, to ensure” that the portion of the project that is outside of the Campo Indian Reservation “complies with California state environmental standards.&rdq
SD County Supervisors repeal tribal policies
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and last updated 2021-05-05 20:31:17-04
SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Wednesday to repeal policies that basically stopped any expansion by Native American tribal governments, along with strict criteria to obtain a liquor license.
Proposed by Supervisor Jim Desmond and board Vice Chairwoman Nora Vargas, the repeal also includes adding a tribal liaison, which will be covered in the fiscal year 2021-22 budget.
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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