The Bureau of Indian Affairs has scheduled two public hearing next month on the Mashpee Wampanaog Tribe's proposed casino in Massachusetts.
The newly recognized tribe filed a land-into-trust application for 539 acres in the town of Middleboro and 140 acres in the town of Mashpee.
The land in Middleboro will be used for a major casino resort.
The BIA is preparing an environmental review on the request. A branch chief from the BIA office in Nashville said a final document won't be ready until 2009.
As a newly recognized tribe, the Mashpee qualify for an exception in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that allows casinos on land taken into trust after 1988.
Get the Story:Mashpee tribe land hearings open to public comment (The Cape Cod Times 1/18)
Casino conflict a safe bet (The Kingston Reporter 1/18)