Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino Project, Jackson County, MS, 58427-58428 [E6-16259]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 3, 2006 / Notices Recovery Criteria for Delisting All of the following must occur: 1. At least three interacting populations exist in the wild and population growth is sustained for 10 years after downlisting has occurred. This will allow for monitoring of recruitment events and other population attributes in a species that has been characterized by highly variable reproductive and survival rates (Snyder et al. 1987; Muiznieks 2003). The populations should produce greater than or equal to 1.56 chicks per nesting attempt (average rate for the 1990s) and their survival rates should not drop below 90 percent for adults and 50 percent for juveniles. These rates assume that sub-adult survival rates are approximately 85 percent, age of first breeding is 4 years, and at least 60 percent of the adults engage in reproduction each year. 2. Long-term protection of the habitat occupied by each wild population is achieved. 3. Collection of the species for commercial, scientific, and/or educational purposes is controlled by Commonwealth laws and other regulatory mechanisms. 4. The effects of disease and predation factors are controlled to allow for population viability. rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES Public Comments Solicited We solicit written comments on the recovery plan described. We will consider all comments received by the date specified above prior to final approval of the revised recovery plan. Our practice is to make all comments, including names and home addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold their home addresses from the record, which we will honor to the extent allowable by law. In some circumstances, we would withhold also from the record a respondent’s identity, as allowable by law. If you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your comments. However, we will not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Authority The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:59 Oct 02, 2006 Jkt 211001 Dated: September 21, 2006. Cynthia Dohner, Acting Regional Director. [FR Doc. E6–16320 Filed 10–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Indian Affairs Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians’ Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino Project, Jackson County, MS Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), with the cooperation of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI), intends to collect information necessary to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed 61 acre fee-to-trust land transfer in Jackson County, Mississippi, and for the proposed use of that land, together with an adjacent 40 acre tract of Choctaw Reservation land in the same county, for a casino project. The purpose of the proposed action is to help meet land base and economic needs of the MBCI. This notice also announces a public scoping meeting to identify potential issues, alternatives and content for inclusion in the EIS. DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this proposal must arrive by November 2, 2006. The public scoping meeting will be held October 18, 2006, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., or until all those who wish to make statements have been heard. ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry, or fax written comments to Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Region, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 545 Marriott Dr., Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 37214; fax (615) 564–1701. Electronic submissions via e-mail are not currently available. The public scoping meeting will be held at Ocean Springs Civic Center, 3730 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Chandler, (615) 564–6832. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MBCI Reservation is comprised of various trust land parcels located in a number of counties in Mississippi, including Jackson County. The tribal offices are located in Choctaw, Mississippi, in Neshoba County. PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 58427 The MBCI currently operates two businesses on land in Jackson County, First American Printing & Direct Mail and First American Plastic Molding. Together, before Hurricane Katrina, these facilities employed 100 full-time and 10 part-time workers from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused substantial adverse impact to these operations through permanent loss of clients whose businesses were destroyed. It is highly probable that one or both of these operations will therefore be closed in the near future. For this reason, the tribe is urgently seeking to identify potential alternative uses of the land and its existing facilities. The MBCI has identified a preferred use for this property that includes gaming and related amenities, in an effort to create a positive economic impact for itself and the local economy. The project area is located in Jackson County, immediately southwest of the intersection of State Highway 57 and Interstate 10. The property is bordered by State Highway 57 to the east, vacant undeveloped land to the west, and the Sunplex Industrial Park to the south. The MBCI proposal is that approximately 61 acres be taken into trust, to be added to approximately 40 acres of adjacent, existing reservation lands for the construction of a casino, hotel and recreational complex. The proposed action encompasses the various federal approvals required to implement the 61 acre fee-to-trust transfer, plus approval of the combined 101 acre tract for gaming use under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. Areas of environmental concern so far identified for analysis in the EIS include traffic, air quality, threatened and endangered species, wildlife habitat and conservation areas, wetlands, water supply, wastewater disposal, solid waste disposal, and socio-economic impacts. Alternatives so far identified for analysis are: (1) The preferred alternative, which would include a Class III casino, hotel, and retail center supported by adequate on-site parking, and which would both maximize potential economic benefits to the MBCI and create tax revenues and jobs for the local community; and (2) no action, under which the MBCI would close the existing businesses and abandon the facilities. The range of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS may be expanded or reduced based on comments received during the scoping process. Public Comment Availability Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1 58428 Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 191 / Tuesday, October 3, 2006 / Notices 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. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. 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. 4321 et seq.), the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1–6), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. Dated: September 6, 2006. Michael D. Olsen, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs. [FR Doc. E6–16259 Filed 10–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–W7–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service [CA–668–07–1220–PA–251A] Monument Advisory Committee Scheduled Meeting Location Change Bureau of Land Management, Interior and Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCIES: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) announce a change of meeting location for the December 2, 2006 scheduled meeting of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as ‘‘MAC’’). The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Mountain Station of the rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Aug<31>2005 19:59 Oct 02, 2006 Jkt 211001 Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, One Tramway Road, Palm Springs, California 92262. A special FREE Tram, leaving promptly at 8:45 a.m., is being provided for all MAC members, the media and members of the public interested in attending and speaking during the Public Comment period. The focus of MAC meetings is implementation of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Management Plan. Members of the public and the media are encouraged to attend and participate in MAC meetings. The Public Comment period begins at 11 a.m. A sign-up sheet for speakers will be available at the entrance of the meeting room on the day of the meeting. Speakers are requested to hold their comments to five minutes. Speakers may provide a written copy of their remarks and any additional remarks for inclusion in the meeting minutes. An agenda will be posted on the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Home Page at https://www.blm.gov/ca/palmsprings/ santarosa/srsj_meetings.html, along with any other additional information for this meeting. All National Monument meetings are open to the public with attendance limited only by the space available. Individuals attending who need special assistance, such as sign language interpretations or other reasonable accommodations, should notify the contact person listed below at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. DATES: December 2, 2006; Free Tram ride departs the Valley Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway at 8:45 a.m.; meeting begins at 9 a.m.; Public Comment period begins at 11 a.m. ADDRESSES: December 2, 2006 meeting is being held at the Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, One Tramway Road, Palm Springs, California 92262. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written comments should be sent to the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Manager, in-care-of the Bureau of Land Management, P.O. Box 581260, North Palm Springs, CA 92258; by telephone (760) 251–4800, fax (760) 251–4899; or e-mail ca_srsj_nm@ca.blm.gov. Additional information regarding the National Monument and the MAC is posted on the National Monument Web pages located at: https://www.ca.blm.gov/ palmsprings/santarosa/santa_ rosa_national_monument.html. Documents pertinent to this notice, including comments with the names and addresses of respondents, will be PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 available for public review at the BLM Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office, 690 W. Garnet Avenue, North Palm Springs, California, during regular business hours 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument was established to preserve nationally significant biological, cultural, recreational, geological, educational and scientific values found in the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains. The MAC is a committee of volunteer citizens appointed to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture with respect to implementation of the National Monument Management Plan. The Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 431 note) authorized establishment of the MAC. The 272,000-acre National Monument encompasses 86,400 acres of Bureau of Land Management lands; 64,400 acres of Forest Service lands; 23,000 acres of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians lands; 8,500 acres of California Department of Parks and Recreation lands; 35,800 acres of other State of California lands; and 53,900 acres of privately owned lands. Dated: September 12, 2006. Gail Acheson, Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Palm Springs-South Coast Field Office. Dated: September 21, 2006. Laurie Rosenthal, District Ranger, USDA Forest Service, San Jacinto Ranger District, San Bernardino National Forest. Dated: September 25, 2006. Jim Foote, Monument Manager, Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains, National Monument. [FR Doc. 06–8417 Filed 10–2–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–40–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [ES–960–1910–BK; Group 61, Louisiana] Notice of Filing of Plat of Survey; Louisiana The plat of the dependent resurvey and survey of the boundaries of lands held in trust by the United States, for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe, in Townships 1 and 2 North, Range 4 East of the Louisiana Meridian, in the State of Louisiana, will be officially filed in Eastern States, Springfield, Virginia 30 E:\FR\FM\03OCN1.SGM 03OCN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58427-58428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16259]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians' Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer 
and Casino Project, Jackson County, MS

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA), with the cooperation of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw 
Indians (MBCI), intends to collect information necessary to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed 61 acre fee-to-
trust land transfer in Jackson County, Mississippi, and for the 
proposed use of that land, together with an adjacent 40 acre tract of 
Choctaw Reservation land in the same county, for a casino project. The 
purpose of the proposed action is to help meet land base and economic 
needs of the MBCI. This notice also announces a public scoping meeting 
to identify potential issues, alternatives and content for inclusion in 
the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by November 2, 2006. The public scoping meeting 
will be held October 18, 2006, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., or until all 
those who wish to make statements have been heard.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry, or fax written comments to 
Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Region, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 545 Marriott Dr., Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 37214; fax 
(615) 564-1701. Electronic submissions via e-mail are not currently 
available.
    The public scoping meeting will be held at Ocean Springs Civic 
Center, 3730 Bienville Boulevard, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Chandler, (615) 564-6832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The MBCI Reservation is comprised of various 
trust land parcels located in a number of counties in Mississippi, 
including Jackson County. The tribal offices are located in Choctaw, 
Mississippi, in Neshoba County.
    The MBCI currently operates two businesses on land in Jackson 
County, First American Printing & Direct Mail and First American 
Plastic Molding. Together, before Hurricane Katrina, these facilities 
employed 100 full-time and 10 part-time workers from the Mississippi 
Gulf Coast. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused substantial 
adverse impact to these operations through permanent loss of clients 
whose businesses were destroyed. It is highly probable that one or both 
of these operations will therefore be closed in the near future. For 
this reason, the tribe is urgently seeking to identify potential 
alternative uses of the land and its existing facilities.
    The MBCI has identified a preferred use for this property that 
includes gaming and related amenities, in an effort to create a 
positive economic impact for itself and the local economy. The project 
area is located in Jackson County, immediately southwest of the 
intersection of State Highway 57 and Interstate 10. The property is 
bordered by State Highway 57 to the east, vacant undeveloped land to 
the west, and the Sunplex Industrial Park to the south.
    The MBCI proposal is that approximately 61 acres be taken into 
trust, to be added to approximately 40 acres of adjacent, existing 
reservation lands for the construction of a casino, hotel and 
recreational complex. The proposed action encompasses the various 
federal approvals required to implement the 61 acre fee-to-trust 
transfer, plus approval of the combined 101 acre tract for gaming use 
under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
    Areas of environmental concern so far identified for analysis in 
the EIS include traffic, air quality, threatened and endangered 
species, wildlife habitat and conservation areas, wetlands, water 
supply, wastewater disposal, solid waste disposal, and socio-economic 
impacts. Alternatives so far identified for analysis are: (1) The 
preferred alternative, which would include a Class III casino, hotel, 
and retail center supported by adequate on-site parking, and which 
would both maximize potential economic benefits to the MBCI and create 
tax revenues and jobs for the local community; and (2) no action, under 
which the MBCI would close the existing businesses and abandon the 
facilities. The range of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the 
EIS may be expanded or reduced based on comments received during the 
scoping process.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be

[[Page 58428]]

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. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for 
public inspection in their entirety.

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. 4321 et seq.), 
the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: September 6, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-16259 Filed 10-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P

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