Native American group settles with The Toll Roads in S Cal on Extension

With the prospect looming of a federal coastal permit for the Foothill South tollroad in southern Orange County California a native American group has cut a deal with The Toll Roads. David Bedares head of one Juaneno tribe with burial grounds and other tribal interest in parts of the tollroad corridor has signed a settlement agreement under which The Toll Roads will provide $350k compensation in return for acceptance of the tollroad.

That will cover 20 acres (8ha) of land and reburial expenses for tribal remains in the path of the tollroad, and support for research and documentation of their tribal and ethnic claims.
"Sacred sites" along the corridor are not clearly defined. The money will go toward geneology studies and a museum.

In return Beldares has committed to use his influence with the Native American Heritage Commission to discontinue their opposition to the tollroad extension.

"We felt the handwriting was on the wall" Beldares is quoted this morning in the Los Angeles Times, a response apparently to the prospect of the US Secretary of Commerce over-ruling the state's radical-environmentalist coastal commission and allowing construction to proceed, regardless.

The state coastal commission supposed to adjudicate on the basis of coastal issues made their attempt to block the tollroad based on a supposed need to get Californians out of their cars and other broad environmentalist "missions." The tollroad has gained permits from all federal and state agencies except the coastal commission. The land in question is federal land and the federal government can assert legal power over the coastline and override state coastal controls.

TOLLROADSnews 2008-06-14