ICYMI — Issa Bill to Preserve Jamul Tribe Land Earns Unanimous Support in Natural Resources Committee

Washington – Last week, the Jamul Indian Village Land Transfer Act (H.R.6443) authored by Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), passed unanimously through the House Natural Resources Committee.

H.R.6443 incorporates 172 acres of land in San Diego’s East County region into the Jamul Indian Village Reservation, which places the land into tribal trust and will preserve the land for generations to come.

The acreage is currently owned by the Jamul Indian Village and includes residential land for homes and council buildings, an ancestral cemetery, and the tribe’s only road for transportation.

“The Jamul Indian Village has endeavored for years to facilitate the best ways for tribal members to move onto reservation land in order to raise their families, preserve their native culture, and honor tribal customs and practices,” said Rep. Issa. “This fee-to-trust bill would grant this historic tribe an opportunity to do just that. By placing Jamul’s land into trust, our legislation safeguards the reservation, its sacred sites, and Kumeyaay traditions so they will endure far into the future.”

“H.R. 6443 will provide economic development opportunities for the Jamul Indian Village and create positive impacts for decades to come. The committee remains committed to helping indigenous communities thrive through continuous dialogue with the tribes on their needs and ideas. I want to thank Representative Issa for his work on this bill that will have generational impacts on the Jamul Indian Village, and I look forward to working to pass it and sign it into law,” said Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman.

The bill text can be found here.