U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff have introduced legislation that would transfer 847 acres of federal land near Ramona, California, into trust for the Barona Band of Mission Indians, reconnecting the San Diego County tribe with ancestral territory it was pushed out of nearly a century ago.
The proposed Senate bill would move land currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service into trust for the tribe, according to a statement from Padilla's office. As reported by FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News, the parcel sits adjacent to the 7,500-acre Barona Indian Reservation near Ramona, and the legislation would connect that reservation with the Capitan Grande Reservation through a land bridge. A companion House bill was introduced by Representative Darrell Issa, per the station's report.
A Century-Old Separation
The Barona Band was forced out of its first federally established reservation in 1932, the outlet notes, after the City of San Diego acquired part of the Capitan Grande Reservation that same year to build a reservoir. The new legislation seeks to restore that lost connection between the tribe and its historic homeland.
Raymond Welch said, “For generations, our people have been separated from the lands that hold our history, our ceremonies, and our sacred places. Today, that separation begins to end.” Welch added, “By placing this land in trust, they have honored our past and strengthened our future.”
What the Lawmakers Are Saying
Schiff said the legislation would restore historical and ancestral land to the Barona Band of Mission Indians, per the same account. Padilla said restoring and reunifying ancestral lands would protect and preserve sacred sites, the outlet reported.
The bill, as described in the seed reporting, preserves existing public recreation access, public trails, and federal emergency access. It also preserves rights-of-way, water rights, and service agreements tied to the land, according to the same report.
Where the Bills Stand
Issa's House version, identified by GovInfo as the Barona Group of Capitan Grande Band of Mission Indians Land Transfer Act of 2026, was placed on the congressional union calendar after being reported in the House on October 29. The Senate measure was read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.
The Barona effort follows a similar push by Padilla's office earlier this year. The senator's office said the Senate unanimously passed the Pit River Land Transfer Act, a separate bill that would transfer more than 500 acres of federal land to the Pit River Tribe for tribal management.
