Yuba County casino moves forward

The federal government has released the environmental impact statement for a proposed casino and hotel in south Yuba County, with the American Indian tribe backing the project believing it's that much closer to reality.

A record of decision on the Enterprise Rancheria project by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, a division of the federal Department of the Interior, will come no sooner than Sept. 7, a month after the EIS was released for public scrutiny.

If the bureau approves the project, and the state crafts a compact with the sponsoring tribe, Estom Yumeka Maidu, a tribal representative said they are ready to get going on Yuba County's largest commercial development in a decade.

"This is the culmination of years and years of hard work to not only realize our dream for self-sufficiency and economic development, but meet and mitigate the needs in the community," said Charles Altekruse, a community relations director for Enterprise Rancheria.

Crafted over the last two years, the EIS examines the project's potential impact in several categories, including water, air quality, roads, employment and crime, as well as suggesting steps the tribe could take to reduce impacts the statement's authors considered significant.

The statement also examined the potential impacts of four other possibilities: a scaled-down casino with no hotel, a family fun park, a casino/hotel in Butte County instead and doing nothing.

In some cases, the statement notes a 2002 memorandum of understanding between Enterprise Rancheria and Yuba County covers increased costs for the county if the casino is built, such as in fire and emergency services.

The statement also throws cold water on fears development of the casino would result in more crime and gambling addictions locally.

"In general, the casino would not cause a substantial increase in crime, however petty crime including vandalism, burglaries, purse snatching, pick-pocketing, coin bucket snatching, and other non-violent crimes are typical of high-traffic development such as casinos, shopping malls, and amusement parks," according to the statement.

The casino wouldn't create more gambling addiction problems because Enterprise Rancheria would probably attract people who would otherwise go to four nearby Indian casinos, the EIS states.

Tribes who run those casinos have opposed Enterprise Rancheria on those grounds, as well as suggesting Estom Yumeka Maidu "reservation shopped" for land where it could build a casino but didn't have a claim otherwise.

Enterprise Rancheria officials have said the Maidu's tribal grounds include both the Oroville area, where its main office is, and Yuba County.

Supporters of the project, including Yuba County Supervisor Mary Jane Griego, have touted the jobs the casino and hotel would create both during construction and operation. Tribal officials estimate the casino would provide about $32 million annually to the county in payroll and benefits.

The project would be on 40 acres near the intersection of Forty Mile Road and Highway 65, and include a spa, retail, restaurants and a conference center.

In a 2005 advisory vote, Yuba County residents opposed the project with 52.1 percent of the vote.

CONTACT Ben van der Meer at 749-4709 or bvandermeer@ appealdemocrat.com.