MADERA COUNTY –The North Fork Rancheria has announced that on Oct. 22, the Bureau of Indian Affairs published notice in the Federal Register that the Class III Gaming Compact between the State of California and the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California is now in effect.
“Publication of the notice in the Federal Register completes the final step in the rigorous federal process that the Tribe has followed since 2004,” says their press release, “a process that has included an exhaustive environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act, affirmative decisions by the Secretary of the Interior on the Tribe’s trust application, two-part determination, and most recently, the compact.
“The process has further required Governor Brown’s concurrence in the Secretarial two-part determination, his negotiation of the compact, and the State Legislature’s ratification of the compact.”
“This is an important day for North Fork, Madera County, and poorer tribes across the state who will directly benefit from the jobs, economic activity, and public funding this compact delivers,” said Ms. Elaine Bethel-Fink, Tribal Chair of the North Fork Rancheria.
“Now at last we can all focus on coming together, moving forward, and clearing any remaining obstacles to delivering on the true promise of Indian gaming: jobs, tribal self-sufficiency, and community funding,” added Ms. Bethel-Fink.
