The United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved the Tule River Indian Tribe’s application to put its land near the Porterville Airport in trust, it reported in a Jan. 4 letter.

Once into trust, the 40 acres of land is converted from private title to federal title and vested to the United States of America. The land is then placed under the control of the tribal government with the U.S. government acting as fiduciary. The land also becomes exempt from state and local government taxes and local land use regulations, something several local business owners feared due to potential unfair competition and the Tribe’s undisclosed plans in regard to development.
As of press time, Tribal Chairman Ryan Garfield was not available to comment on the recent decision nor on the tribe’s proposed development plans for the property.

According to City Manager John Lollis, the approval of the application, which was submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior in July, does not trouble the city and only represents an opportunity for the Tribe and City to work together for further economic development.

“All city development that occurs on the 40 acres must be necessitated by the agreement, and I think we’ve been consistent on that and that was the agreement’s purpose,” Lollis said about a Cooperation Agreement the two entered on April 1.

According to an April 20 letter from the Tribe addressed to the Department of Interior, in the agreement the Tribe agrees to follow the City’s General Plan and zoning in effect for the airport and to obtain the written approval of the city before initiating any development project at the Porterville Airpark.

How that agreement was reached between the city and tribe has been challenged by some local business owners.