A group of a dozen Palm Springs residents mailed letters to state officials Thursday asking them to become involved in a proposal by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to build an arena on tribal land in downtown Palm Springs.

Their group, Palm Springs Together, believes the plan to build the arena should require drafting of customary environmental reports.
The group paid for an open letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom that was printed as a full-page advertisement in today's Los Angeles Times.

We respect the tribe's property rights, but we have rights too, namely to a healthy environment and quality of life,'' the letter reads.We are concerned about a variety of environmental impacts.''

Palm Springs Together's quest for state involvement regarding the proposed arena could be futile.