Chukchansi Tribe, Madera County reach deal to boost fire protection and sheriff’s patrols
Fire protection and law enforcement presence will increase on Chukchansi lands including the Tribe’s casino and the surrounding community under a new agreement with Madera County.
The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians and county officials on Friday celebrated the signing of a new memorandum of understanding, according to a news release.
Terms of the memo include:
▪ More money will be provided by the Tribe for Madera County’s Fire Station 8, allowing for increased staffing and utilization of a fire truck purchased by the Tribe. A new sign for the station, bearing the Tribe’s logo, was unveiled as part of the signing of the agreement.
▪ The Madera County Sheriff’s Office will be reimbursed for patrolling Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino and money also will be provided for two new patrol vehicles that will be kept there.
▪ Changes in federal and state laws and regulations regarding Tribal jurisdiction to regulate cannabis in its territory will be recognized. This will allow the Tribe to incorporate cannabis into its economic development strategy.
Tribal leaders and county officials hailed the agreement. No figures were provided on the amount of the financial commitment.
“We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship with the county,” Tribal Chairwoman Claudia Gonzales said. “This agreement will increase our capacity to protect the Tribe in a way that respects the Tribe’s interests and our sovereignty. The increased sheriff’s patrol will go a long way to increase safety and peace of mind for our community, and we all saw the need for firefighting services first-hand last summer with the devastating Creek Fire right at our doorstep.”
The Creek, one of several huge wildfires in California’s devastating 2020 fire season, ranks as largest single fire in modern state history at nearly 400,000 acres.
It destroyed more than 800 structures in Madera and Fresno counties as it burned from September to December, with the casino in Coarsegold near the fire’s western edge.
Coarsegold and other Sierra foothill and mountain communities remain under major threat this year as California endures another year of brutally dry conditions.
“The Tribe’s commitments in the MOU will be vital to protecting the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino and the surrounding community through this drought,” Madera County Fire Division Chief Matt Watson said.
Madera County Sheriff Tyson Pogue sees the extra patrol cars as a “great asset.”
“The Madera County Sheriff’s Office values our continued partnership with the Chukchansi Tribal Community,” Pogue said. “The addition of dedicated patrol vehicles assigned to the casino will be a great asset for our deputies to provide the highest level of safety and security for Tribal members and visitors who come to enjoy all that Madera County has to offer.”