Rep. Mike Kennedy Questions Tribal Official on Returning BLM Land to Pechanga Tribe

Land Transfer and Management Plans

• 🏛️ Representative Mike Kennedy questioned Councilman Marc Luker regarding HR5682, a bill to transfer 1,200 acres of BLM land into trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians.
• 🤝 Plans include continued collaboration with the Santa Margarita Land Conservancy and San Diego State Economic Ecological Conservancy for property management.
• 🗺️ The tribe's cultural resources team will assess the land, identifying and mapping resources with GIS markers, as this had not been done by the BLM.
• 🌳 The land is intended to remain as open space with no development or change of status, preserving its natural state.

Sacredness and Cultural Preservation

• ⛰️ Councilman Luker emphasized that the land, particularly a mountain considered sacred and the site of creation (Meccu), will be kept pristine.
• 🚫 There will be no mining or timber harvesting due to the land's sacred significance and rugged terrain.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The transfer will allow the tribe to bring their youth to these important cultural sites, teaching them traditional knowledge and about their history, including the birth of the first human and the location of the first death.

Benefits of Land Return and ITAR

• 🔑 Bringing the land into trust offers significant benefits, allowing tribes to be less private about their culture and share its importance.
• 🏞️ The current 356 acres of trust land adjacent to the proposed transfer are already used for educational purposes with tribal youth.
• 📈 The ITAR's 10-year demonstration program becoming permanent provides tribes with the confidence and security to develop robust organizations and execute long-term operational plans.
• 🌍 The goal is to acquire BLM land in the area to further preserve the space into perpetuity.