Lytton Tribe
LYTTON RANCHERIA
TIMELINE
MAY 2009
Lytton formally requests Sonoma County land be put into trust to re-establish homeland
JULY 2009
Environmental Assessment (EA) for
proposed project released
2009-2010
County of Sonoma, Town of Windsor & community members respond to EA
2011
Lytton agrees to additional mitigation, final Environmental Assessment issued
2012
Bureau of Indian Affairs issues a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
2013
Town of Windsor reviews Tribe's request for sewer & water service to trust lands
MARCH 2015
Memorandum of Agreement executed between the Tribe and the County of Sonoma
MAY 2015
HR 2538 introduced by Congressman Huffman
JUNE 2015
HR 2538 receives testimony in Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian
and Alaska Native Affairs
JANUARY 2020
Lytton project approved by Congress and the President
Lytton Rancheria purchases land in Sonoma County, and following stipulations from 1991 judgment restoring their federal status, applies to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to put the land into federal trust. This is the first legitimate step in securing a permanent tribal homeland.
An evaluation of the Tribe's project was conducted by Analytical Environmental Services (AES), and an official assessment was submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This report can be found here.
In an effort to increase the mitigation responsibilities of the Tribe, and to stall the Tribe's effort to legally restore tribal homeland, the County of Sonoma, the Town of Windsor and concerned community members filed 222 pages of public comment on the EA with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Responding to public comment and direction from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tribe agrees to greater mitigation and submits a Final Environmental Assessment to the federal government. This report can be found here.
The BIA releases a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), stating that Lytton's agreement to mitigate the impacts of the project constitutes the "project itself is not a Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment." This step is necessary under the National Enviornmental Policy Act (NEPA) before the lands are taken into trust.
Recognizing the imminence of Lytton's land going into trust, the Town of Windsor considers the tribe's request for municipal services that would require approval from Windsor voters. Press Democrat article
At a public hearing in open session, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors review and approve a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) presented by Deputy County Counsel and the Deputy County Administrator. This agreement would ensure that gaming would be prohibited and that any off-reservation impacts would be fully addressed. Additionally, this action established a framework for a mutually beneficial intergovernmental relationship between the County and the Tribe.