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After heavy public comment, board directs staff to reaffirm 2016 stance on former Loran Station transfer
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Summary
Following extensive public testimony from Middletown Rancheria and local veterans, supervisors signaled consensus to send GSA a letter reaffirming the county’s 2016 decision not to seek transfer of the 733‑acre parcel surrounding the former Loran/Coast Guard site and to continue conversations with the tribe and community partners.
Lake County supervisors discussed a March 18, 2026 letter from the U.S. General Services Administration asking whether the county wished to change its 2016 position declining transfer of roughly 733 acres surrounding the former Loran (Lorain) Station near Middletown.
Assistant County Administrative Officer Steven Carter outlined the history: congress authorized a transfer in 2000 of land surrounding the station but previous boards declined because the gift carried substantial obligations — surveys, legal descriptions, maintenance of firebreaks, fencing, and retained federal reversion rights if the land were used commercially or transferred without authorization. Middletown Rancheria has since expressed interest and Congressman Mike Thompson has supported a tribal transfer.
The board heard robust public comment. Multiple tribal leaders and representatives — including a tribal chairman and council members — urged the county to refrain from changing its 2016 stance so the GSA could proceed with a federal transfer to Middletown Rancheria. Tribal commenters emphasized the land’s cultural and ancestral significance and said the tribe has worked for decades to regain those lands and would place them into trust.
Other residents and veterans’ organizations urged the county to explore potential county uses — proposed emergency training facilities, veteran services, and wildfire management — but many supervisors cautioned that the county lacks the staff, budget, and capacity to assume long‑term stewardship and potential cleanup liability if contamination exists. Several supervisors said they would prefer to continue dialogue with the tribe and other stakeholders rather than unilaterally reverse the 2016 decision.
After discussion the chair probed for consensus; board members indicated they preferred sending a letter to GSA that reaffirms the county’s prior decision (i.e., the county is not changing its 2016 position) while continuing conversations with Middletown Rancheria, veterans and local advisory boards about potential partnerships or future collaboration. Assistant CAO Carter and county counsel were directed to prepare the letter.
Board members said they would continue local outreach, including meetings with the tribe, veterans groups, emergency‑service providers and the Middletown Area Town Hall (MATH). Several supervisors noted federal cleanup, liability and funding questions remain unresolved and that tribal stewardship may offer a path to federal resources for remediation.
The board’s consensus direction: instruct staff to send a letter to GSA stating the county’s decision remains as recorded in 2016, while pursuing local conversations and partnership opportunities.
