Tule River Tribe celebrates milestone of new Fire Station and Food Distribution for Community

(Tule River Tribe, Porterville, CA 93257) – The Tule River Tribe held a topping off ceremony for the Tribe’s new fire station and food distribution center on Tuesday June 7^th on the Tule River Reservation.
The food distribution center is the USDA building and commodities food program, SNAP, providing services for the Tule River Reservation, surrounding areas, and tribes as far as Santa Barbara County.

“This facility is going to be really important to ensure that people get good quality food to eat and make sure they have access to food”, said Neil Peyron, Chairman of the Tule River Tribe.

“A lot of us don’t realize that there is still a lot of hunger in this country, one of the greatest countries in the world and yet we still see that even on our reservation, but this program helps out a lot of families making sure that kids can go to school with full bellies”, said Chairman Peyron.

The Wildland Fire Department will be the building next door and will allow for the reservation to have access to their own EMS and fire responses quicker to protect their homes and land.

“Response will be rather quickly to the reservation if that’s where they need to go, but just like USDA building, they also serve across the United States wherever they are called to once the fire season starts and programed with the Bureau of Indian Affairs so they can be called anytime to fly anywhere in the United States to assist other people with fighting wildland fires”, said Chairman Peyron.

Also in attendance was the Mayor of Porterville, Martha Flores, and a Member of the California State Assembly from the 26^th District, state representative, Devon Mathis. “4 or 5 kids in a classroom that go hungry every night, this facility is going to help fight against that, so that our little ones can be nourished and be able to learn”, said Mathis. “These buildings are a part of the vision that the tribe has had and part of the dream, teamwork makes the dream work.”

It is another milestone for the Tule River Tribe as the tribe prepares to relocate their casino property, Eagle Mountain Casino down the hill and closer to the City of Porterville in late Fall. The Tule River Tribe will also be celebrating its 150^th year Anniversary in January of 2023.

Many more milestones are ahead as well as the tribe continues to be an economic engine for Tulare County providing jobs and generous donations to local community organizations and events.

The tribe’s new fire station and food distribution are just the start of new projects that will be unveiled following the relocation of Eagle Mountain Casino. A brand new Water Treatment Plant will be built for the residents of the reservation and also provide new housing.

The Tule River Tribe and the City of Porterville will also be introducing a joint powers agreement, the Porterville Area Development Agency, one of the only agencies between municipal and tribal in the state of California.
 
Currently, Eagle Mountain Casino is located 17 miles east of Porterville and is a full-service casino owned and operated by the Tule River Tribe. Guests must be 18 years of age to enter. The casino is open 24/7. The Grizzly Food court is open 24/7, and the River Steakhouse is open Friday – Sunday from 5pm – 10pm. Eagle Mountain Casino is a short drive from Bakersfield or Visalia.
 
The new casino property is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2022, off Highway 65 in Porterville, CA, next to the Porterville Fair Grounds. The new property will double in size growing to over 100,000 square feet, featuring new dining options, 1750 slot machines, 20 table games, and a state-of-the-art event center.