A Lake County Indian tribe received Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s signature Wednesday on a gaming compact, one of the most significant hurdles in the tribe’s quest for a casino near the shores of Clear Lake.

“It’s huge for us,” said Sherry Treppa-Bridges, chairwoman of the 202-member Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake.

All that’s left is for the state Legislature and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to agree to the compact, she said.

The proposed $39 million casino just east of Upper Lake on Highway 20 would include 349 slot machines and about six gaming tables. Eventually, it would be expanded to 75,000 square feet and include a hotel, wine shop and meeting rooms, she has said.

Lake County already has three casinos, including one at the Robinson Rancheria located just two miles east of the proposed casino.

The formerly landless tribe already has placed the 11.24 acres of casino land into trust, one of biggest obstacles in the approval process. It also has agreements in place with Lake County and the county sanitation district, which it has paid $378,000 to expand a treatment facility.

The tribe has agreed to pay the county a 1 percent assessment on its property annually in lieu of property taxes and to make contributions of $5,000 a year for two years, then $10,000 a year thereafter.­It also has agreed to comply with federal workplace standards and state building codes.

County officials have said their agreement does not give their approval for yet another casino in the county. Rather, it’s a way to be compensated for impacts from a project they have no authority to stop.

Bridges said market studies show there’s enough business for two casinos in the Lower Lake area.

Despite a recent downturn in casino revenues that has discouraged some investors, Bridges said the Habematolel tribe’s backer — Michigan-based Luna Gaming — is ready to proceed.

The tribe expects to break ground in the spring, she said.

The newly signed state gaming compact runs through December 21, 2030 and allows a maximum of 750 slot machines. Under the terms of the compact, the tribe will pay the state 15 percent of its annual net revenues, according to the governor’s office.

Other requirements of the compact include that the tribe grant employees the right to collectively bargain, contribute to the state Workers Compensation Fund and to warn patrons about problem gambling.

The Habematolel Pomos began pursuing an Upper Lake casino after an unsuccessful 2001 bid for land in West Sacramento where they planned to build a $200 million casino.

The current project is within a few miles of the tribe’s historic home.