AUBURN - A federal draft assessment on potential impacts of putting local land into trust is inadequate and those who wrote it should go back to square one, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said Tuesday.

During a press conference with local officials, Schumer spoke out against the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs' draft impact statement on a proposal to place approximately 130 acres of land in Seneca and Cayuga counties into federal trust.

The BIA's draft statement is an important step in the Cayuga Indian Nation's attempt to put the land into trust. Before the U.S. Department of the Interior approves or denies the trust application, it must release a final environmental impact statement.

During his talk, Schumer said the draft impact statement - which says effects on the local environment, infrastructure and economy would be negligible at most - ignores environmental and economic consequences that would come about if the land is put into trust.

“You'd think they were examining a different place,” he said to a group of local business people and government officials at the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce.

“They showed no understanding of what is going on in this county,” Schumer said.

Schumer's criticisms touched on a handful of possible impacts he said the BIA has overlooked. If the non-adjacent land is put into trust, it will no longer have to adhere to state and local laws or regulations.

Economically, the trust would take land off the tax rolls and put a greater strain on local government, Schumer said. Perhaps the biggest economic factor, he said, is the “collateral damage” to local businesses that will have to compete with Cayuga-owned stores that don't have to charge state taxes.

Schumer also noted the land would not be under state environmental and zoning laws, thus potentially putting the local watershed and infrastructure under greater stress. And because the land is not adjacent, the “checkerboarding” effect of having various plots of federal trust land scattered among two counties will cause jurisdiction issues when it comes to public safety and other services, Schumer said.

“(The federal land trust system) is designed for the great outdoors in the West where there is lots of land and no people,” Schumer said.

Area residents and officials have offered similar criticisms about the document and the BIA since the impact statement was released.

Schumer reiterated Tuesday that he believes a mutually negotiated agreement between the Cayugas and the counties is the “only way to go.”

Schumer said during Tuesday's meeting that he would “be happy” to serve as a facilitator between the parties involved. However, he said negotiations can be difficult with an issue like this, where lawsuits and other pending litigation is involved.

“I'll do whatever I can,” Schumer said. “... But the community's wishes have to come first.”

The Cayugas and counties almost reached a settlement that would have likely - among other agreements - allowed the nation to open a casino in the Catskills. But those negotiations stalled in the summer of 2007 and have not been rekindled.

In a written statement issued Tuesday, the Cayuga Nation Council called Schumer a “friend of the Cayugas,” but also said it disagrees with the senator's comments about the BIA's draft statement.

“The Nation welcomes Senator Schumer's offer to facilitate a negotiated settlement of these issues and stands ready to assist him,” the council stated.

Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net