Marzulla & Marzulla Defends BIAs Fee-to-Trust Decision
Washington, D.C. – Nancie G. Marzulla and Roger J. Marzulla, partners in the Washington-D.C.-based law firm, Marzulla & Marzulla, today announced that they have been engaged by the Santa Ynez Tribe of Chumash Indians to represent them in their efforts to defend the Regional Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ approval of the Tribe’s request to transfer of 6.9 acres of land owned by the Tribe into federal trust status.
The land to be taken into trust status is adjacent to the current 138.95 acre- reservation of the Tribe, which is located in the community of Santa Ynez, which is southwest of Highway 246 in Santa Barbara, California. The plans for the land include the construction of a cultural center and museum, a commemorative park that focuses on the history of the Chumash people, and a small commercial center that would generate revenue for the upkeep of the cultural center and park.
“The 6.9 acres to be taken into trust holds the remains of an intact, ancient Chumash village site. The Chumash plan to preserve the site will be a great asset for the Santa Ynez community as well as for the Tribe,” says Nancie G. Marzulla. “The plan is also entirely consistent with purpose of the federal regulations allowing the Secretary of Interior to acquire land for a tribe in trust status.
Last month, a panel of the U.S. Department of the Interior rejected an appeal by two valley citizen groups, Preservation of Los Olivos (POLO) and Preservation of Santa Ynez (POSY), who are trying to stop the Tribe’s attempt to annex the land to its reservation. In February 2006, POLO and POSY announced they had retained former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson to handle their legal challenge of the federal ruling filed on March 10, 2006 in a federal court in Los Angeles.
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