The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, rooted in the heart of Death Valley, has received approval from the U.S. Interior Department to build a long-awaited casino in Inyokern, California. This milestone comes two years after a previous attempt to establish a casino in Ridgecrest fell through amid legal and community opposition.
On July 8th, a notice in the Federal Register announced that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), a division of the Interior Department, will take the designated land for the casino into trust, a crucial step for tribal gaming operations. “The Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire in trust 20.03 acres, more or less, of land known as the County Land Parcel in Kern County, California, for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe for gaming and other purposes,” the Federal Register notice reads, according to The Ridgecrest Daily Independent.
The proposed site is located approximately eight miles west of Ridgecrest and about a two-hour drive from Bakersfield, California. The casino project, envisioned on a 20.03-acre plot at the northwest corner of Highways 178 and 395, will be developed in two phases. The first phase includes a 20,000-square-foot casino and entertainment complex featuring 349 slot machines, six gaming tables, restaurants, and meeting rooms, estimated to cost over $30 million. The second phase, estimated at over $17 million, plans to add a hotel, convention center, and additional dining options.
A Long and Difficult Journey
The tribe’s journey to this approval has been fraught with challenges. Their traditional territory within Death Valley National Park prohibits the construction of casinos due to federal restrictions. Thus, the tribe sought to establish their gaming operations outside the park boundaries. The initial plan to build a casino in Ridgecrest was supported by the city council but faced significant local opposition over concerns about social impacts and water resources, according to West Island Blog.
In 2016, the tribe and Ridgecrest entered a municipal services agreement (MSA) while seeking BIA approval. However, by late 2018, the Ridgecrest city council terminated the agreement, citing community division and the expiration of the MSA without a completed land sale. This led to legal disputes with the tribe accusing the BIA of stalling the project. Despite the BIA’s letter of approval dating back to September 2018, the Ridgecrest council’s decision stood, culminating in a settlement in 2020. This agreement included the sale of the land for $5.5 million, but funding fell through due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the revived agreement expired in February 2022.
The recent BIA approval represents a significant victory for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, who have been pursuing this project for nearly a decade. Before construction can commence, several steps remain, including finalizing the land purchase and reaching agreements with the county for law enforcement and other services. Despite these remaining hurdles, the tribe’s vision of building a casino in Inyokern is now closer to reality than ever before.
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