- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Real Estate
A pair of California lawmakers have introduced legislation that would place 860 acres of federal land into trust for the Pechanga Band of Indians, advancing a long‑running effort to protect sites tied to the tribe’s history and stewardship work.
The Pechanga Band of Indians Land Transfer Act, introduced by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), would place Bureau of Land Management land into trust for the tribe. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) introduced similar legislation in the House in Oct. 2025 that proposed transferring 1,261 acres.
The parcels lie near Pu’éska Mountain, a site the Pechanga Band considers sacred in its creation history. The tribe purchased the mountain in 2012 after opposing a proposed quarry there, and the land was placed in federal trust in 2015. Tribal leaders told Congress the transfer of nearby BLM land into trust would further protect cultural sites and allow the tribe to manage the landscape for conservation.
Padilla said the transfer would help safeguard places central to the tribe’s identity to reunify portions of its ancestral homeland.
Schiff said the measure reflects a federal responsibility to support tribal stewardship and cultural continuity.
Under the bill, the land would become part of the Pechanga Reservation and be managed under federal laws governing tribal trust land. The legislation requires the acreage to remain open space for the protection of archaeological, cultural and wildlife resources and prohibits Class II or Class III gaming on the site.
In a statement, Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro said the legislation supports the tribe’s efforts to protect culturally important places and maintain its relationship with the land.
“This bill helps ensure that our sacred sites and ancestral spaces are preserved and cared for in the way our people have always intended,” he said.
If enacted, the transfer would expand the tribe’s existing 7,000-acre reservation.
Brian Edwards contributed reporting.
