[Federal Register: May 30, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 105)]
[Notices]
[Page 31143-31144]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my08-74]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cowlitz Indian
Tribe's Proposed 151.87-Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer, Reservation
Proclamation, and Casino-Resort Project, Clark County, WA
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) as lead agency, with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe (Tribe),
National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), Federal Highway
Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington Department of
Transportation, Clark County, Clark County Sheriff's Office, Cowlitz
County, City of La Center, City of Vancouver, City of Ridgefield, Port
of Ridgefield, City of Woodland and City of Battle Ground as
cooperating agencies, intends to file a Final Environmental Impact
Statement (FEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the
Tribe's proposed 151.87-acre fee-to-trust transfer, reservation
proclamation, and casino-resort project in Clark County, Washington.
The proposed action would include approval by the NIGC of a gaming
management contract. The FEIS is now available to the public and is
part of the administrative process that evaluates tribal applications
that seek to have the United States take land
[[Page 31144]]
into trust pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 465, 25 CFR part 151, and 25 U.S.C.
2719(b)(1)(B).
DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on
or after July 1, 2008. Any comments on the FEIS must arrive by June 30,
2008.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Mr. Stanley
Speaks, Northwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Northwest Region, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232. Please
include your name, return address and the caption, ``FEIS Comments,
Cowlitz Indian Tribe Trust Acquisition and Casino Project,'' on the
first page of your written comments.
The FEIS will be available for public review at the following Fort
Vancouver Public Library branches: La Center Community Library, 1402
East Lockwood Creek Road, La Center, Washington 98629; Ridgefield
Community Library, 210 North Main Avenue, Ridgefield, Washington 98642.
General information for the Fort Vancouver Public Library system can be
obtained by calling (360) 695-1561. The FEIS is also available on the
following Web site: http://www.cowlitzeis.org.
To obtain copies of the FEIS, please provide your name and address
in writing or by voicemail to Dr. B.J. Howerton, Environmental
Protection Specialist, at the BIA address above or at the telephone
number provided below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: B.J. Howerton, (503) 231-6749.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take
151.87 acres into trust on behalf of the Tribe, on which the Tribe
proposes to develop a casino-resort complex, parking facilities,
recreational vehicle park, tribal headquarters, tribal elder housing,
tribal cultural center, and wastewater treatment plant. The project
site encompasses eight contiguous tax lots in Clark County, Washington,
near the cities of La Center and Ridgefield. Regional access to the
project site is provided via Interstate 5 at the NW. 319th Street
Interchange. NW. 319th Street would provide primary access to the
casino-resort complex and tribal government facilities. The street,
however, would be realigned to a more southerly location within the
proposed project site to allow development of the casino and hotel
facilities north of NW. 319th Street without encroachment into wetlands
and wetland buffer areas.
Project alternatives considered in the FEIS include: (1) Preferred
casino-resort complex; (2) preferred casino-resort complex without re-
routing NW. 319th Street; (3) reduced intensity complex; (4) business
park; (5) casino-resort complex at the Ridgefield Interchange Site; and
(6) no action. 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 selects an alternative other than the Preferred
Alternative, including no action, or that selects a variant of the
Preferred Alternative or another of the alternatives analyzed in the
FEIS.
Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include geology and
soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and
paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use,
public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative
effects, indirect effects and mitigation measures.
The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public
extensive opportunity to participate in the preparation of this EIS.
The BIA published a notice of intent to prepare the EIS for the
proposed action in the Federal Register on November 12, 2004 (69 FR
43431). The BIA held a public scoping meeting on December 1, 2004, in
the City of Vancouver. A Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was
published in the Federal Register on April 14, 2006 (71 FR 10055). The
Draft EIS was available for public comment from April 14 to July 14,
2006. In response to public requests, the comment period was re-opened
from August 4 to August 25, 2006, for a total public comment period of
145 days. The BIA held two public hearings on the Draft EIS, one on
June 14, 2006, and one on June 15, 2006, in the City of Vancouver.
Public Comment Availability
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the mailing 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 on 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.), and the 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.
Dated: May 21, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-12105 Filed 5-29-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P
