Santa Barbara County Supervisors Approve Official Response to Chumash Tribe’s Land Trust Application
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved an official response to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians' application to place the 365-acre San Carlos property into a federal trust. The approved letter, passed with a 4-0…
Santa Barbara Santa Maria San Luis Obispo, CA, November 10, 2026 — The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has formally responded to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians’ application to transfer the 365-acre San Carlos property into federal trust. The Board approved an official response letter during a meeting, with the vote passing 4-0.
The approved response details several concerns held by the county. Key among these are the potential loss of county revenue that could result from the property’s transfer into federal trust. Additionally, the supervisors expressed apprehension regarding the potential impacts on existing local land-use laws.
Despite these concerns, the letter also conveys the Board’s aspiration to maintain a collaborative relationship with the tribe. To facilitate this, the response includes a proposal for the establishment of a liaison, intended to serve as a point of contact and foster ongoing communication between the county government and the Chumash Tribe.
In relation to the San Carlos property, the tribe’s chairman has previously indicated that the land is slated for non-gaming purposes and is part of the tribe’s community planning initiatives. The specific details of the county’s proposed revenue streams or land-use law impacts were not provided in the summary.
Story summarized from the original created by Daniel Green, Noozhawk Staff Writer on www.noozhawk.com, see more information here.
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