[Federal Register: April 18, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 76)]
[Notices]
[Page 21150-21151]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18ap08-85]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ione Band of Miwok
Indians' Proposed 228.04-Acre Fee-To-Trust Land Transfer and Casino
Project, Amador County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Ione Band of Miwok Indians
(Tribe), National Indian Gaming Commission, City of Plymouth,
California, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), intends to
file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA for the
proposed 228.04 acre trust acquisition and construction of casino
project to be located within the City of Plymouth in Amador County,
California and that the DEIS is now available for public review. This
notice provides a 75-day public comment period and thereby grants a 30-
day extension to the normal 45-day public comment period. This notice
also announces a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIS.
DATES: Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by July 2, 2008. The
public hearing will be held May 21, 2008, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., or
until the last public comment is received.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Dale Risling,
Deputy Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. Please include
your name, return address, and the caption, ``DEIS Comments, Ione Band
of Miwok Indians' Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written
comments.
The public hearing will be at the Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621
Sherwood and School Streets, Plymouth, California.
The DEIS is available for review at the Amador County Library,
Jackson Main Library, 530 Sutter Street, Jackson, California 95642 and
at the City Clerk, Plymouth City Hall, 9426 Main Street, Plymouth,
California 95669. General information for the Amador County Library,
Jackson Main Library, may be obtained by calling (209) 223-6400.
General information for the City Clerk, Plymouth City Hall, may be
obtained by calling (209) 245-6941.
If you would like to obtain a copy of the DEIS, please write or
call John Rydzik, Chief of the Division of Environmental, Cultural
Resource Management and Safety, at the BIA address above or the
telephone number provided below. An electronic version of the DEIS may
be viewed at http://www.ioneeis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6042.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take
into Federal trust 228.04 acres of land currently held in fee by the
Tribe, on which the Tribe proposes to construct a casino, a hotel,
parking areas and other facilities. The proposed project is located in
the City of Plymouth in Amador County, California. The project site is
located immediately east of State Highway 49 and is within 2\1/2\ miles
of State Highway 16. The project site consists of 12 parcels of land
totaling 228.04 acres. Eight of the 12 parcels (10.28 acres) are
located within the City of Plymouth, while the remaining four parcels,
approximately 218 acres, are located on unincorporated land within
Amador County.
Phase I of the proposed action includes the development of a
120,000 square foot casino complex, which would consist of a porte
cochere, main gaming hall, food and beverage services, retail space and
administration space. Approximately 65,000 square feet of this building
space would be devoted to the main gaming hall, while the balance of
the facility would include administration space, small retail shops,
food/beverage facilities and a small gift and art shop. This entire
complex would be built on land currently within the City of Plymouth.
Primary access to the casino complex would be via State Highway 49.
Phase II of the proposed action consists of the construction of a
hotel (250 rooms maximum), which would include small conference style
facilities, together with food and beverage services. The proposed
hotel would also be fitted with a dual plumbing system for the use of
potable and recycled water. In addition, site parking would be
increased to supply adequate parking for hotel and conference patrons.
The hotel is anticipated to be operational no sooner than the middle of
year 3-4 of the project. Primary vehicle access to the hotel would be
provided by the main casino and surface-parking driveway.
A range of project alternatives is considered in the DEIS,
including: (1) Preferred casino and hotel; (2) reduced casino and
hotel; (3) reduced casino, no hotel; (4) regional shopping development;
and (5) no action. Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include
land resources, water resources, air quality, biological resources,
cultural resources, socioeconomic conditions, resource use patterns,
public services, other values including noise, hazards and hazardous
materials and visual resources and environmental justice, cumulative
effects, indirect effects, growth inducing effects and mitigation
measures. Input from the public, including that from public scoping
meetings the BIA held November 19, 2003, and February 4, 2004, at the
Amador County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, California, was included in the
development of these alternatives and issues.
Public Comment Availability
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the BIA address shown in the ADDRESSES
section, during 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.),
Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the exercise
of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by
209 DM 8.1.
[[Page 21151]]
Dated: January 22, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-8334 Filed 4-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P
