[Federal Register: March 28, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 61)]
[Notices]
[Page 16703-16704]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28mr08-101]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Scotts Valley Band
of Pomo Indians' Proposed 29.87 Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Gaming
Development Project, Contra Costa County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA), in cooperation with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo
Indians (Tribe), National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), Contra Costa
County, and California Department of Transportation, intends to file a
final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency for the proposed approval of a 29.87 acre
fee-to-trust transfer and gaming development project in Contra Costa
County, California, and that the FEIS is now available to the public.
In addition to the trust acquisition for gaming purposes, the proposed
action includes approval by the NIGC of a gaming management contract.
The FEIS is part of the administrative process that evaluates tribal
applications that seek to have the United States take land into trust
pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 465 and 25 CFR part 151.
DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on
or after April 29, 2008. Any comments on the FEIS must be received by
April 28, 2008.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or handcarry written comments to Amy Dutschke,
Acting Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region,
2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2820, Sacramento, California 95825. Please
include your name, return address and the caption, ``FEIS Comments,
Scotts Valley Fee-to-Trust and Gaming Development Project,'' on the
first page of your written comments.
The FEIS will be available for review at the Richmond Public
Library, Main Library, 325 Civic Center Plaza, Richmond, California
94804, and at the Contra Costa County Library, San Pablo Branch, 2300
El Portal Drive, Suite D, San Pablo, California 94806. General
information for the Richmond Public Library can be obtained by calling
(510) 620-6555 and for the Contra Costa County Library by calling (510)
374-3998.
If you would like to obtain a copy of the FEIS, please provide your
name and
[[Page 16704]]
address in writing or by voicemail to John Rydzik, Chief of the
Division of Environmental, Cultural Resource Management and Safety, at
the BIA address above or at the telephone number provided below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6042.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has asked the BIA to take
29.87 acres of land into trust on behalf of the Tribe, on
which the Tribe proposes to develop a casino, parking structure and
other facilities. The project site is located in unincorporated Contra
Costa County, contiguous with the City of Richmond. Regional access to
the project site would be from Richmond Parkway via Interstate 80.
Project alternatives considered in the FEIS include: (1) The
preferred casino alternative; (2) a reduced casino; (3) a reduced
casino and commercial development; (4) a retail/office development; and
(5) no action. The preferred casino alternative includes a 225,000-
square-foot casino complex and a five-level parking structure. The
alternatives are intended to assist the review of the issues presented,
but the Preferred Alternative does not necessarily reflect what the
final decision will be, because a complete evaluation of the criteria
listed in 25 CFR part 151 may lead to a final decision that differs
from the Preferred Alternative and the other alternatives.
Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include land resources,
water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources,
socioeconomic conditions, environmental justice, transportation, land
use, agriculture, public services, noise, hazardous materials, visual
resources, cumulative effects, indirect effects and mitigation.
The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public ample
opportunity to participate in the preparation of this EIS. The BIA
published a notice of intent to prepare an EIS for the proposed action
in the Federal Register on July 20, 2004 (69 FR 43431). BIA also held a
public scoping meeting on August 4, 2004, in the City of Richmond. A
Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal
Register on February 28, 2006 (71 FR 10055). The document was available
for public comment from February 28 to April 28, 2006, and a public
hearing was held on March 15, 2006, in the City of Richmond.
Public Comment Availability
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the address shown in the ADDRESSES
section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday, except holidays. Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in
your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including
your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available
at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your
personal identifying information from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority: This notice is published in accordance with section
1503.1 of the Council of Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR
parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the procedural requirements of
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C.
4371 et seq.), the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6),
and under the authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian
Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: March 5, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-6346 Filed 3-27-08; 8:45 am]
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