Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Approval of a Gaming Management Contract, 21398-21399 [2013-08267]
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TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
21398
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 10, 2013 / Notices
interpretation. We intend to review and
update the CCP at least every 15 years
in accordance with the Administration
Act.
Our Draft CCP and EA were available
for a 45-day public review and comment
period, which we announced via several
methods, including press releases,
updates to constituents, and a Federal
Register notice (77 FR 28895, May 16,
2012). The Draft CCP/EA identified and
evaluated three alternatives for
managing the Refuge for the next 15
years.
Under Alternative A (no action
alternative), the current management
actions, including habitat management,
wildlife management, wildlife-oriented
recreation opportunities, and
environmental education, would be
continued. Current staffing and funding
would remain the same. Existing
restoration and management plans (e.g.,
Bair Island Restoration and Management
Plan and South Bay Salt Pond
Restoration Project) would continue to
be implemented. We would also
actively work with partners and willing
sellers to acquire the remaining lands
within the approved acquisition
boundary.
Alternative B (preferred alternative)
includes those actions in Alternative A.
In addition, we would moderately
expand biological, habitat management,
visitor service, and environmental
education activities. Refuge staff would
expand the volunteer program to recruit
new volunteers and provide additional
learning opportunities to existing
volunteers. Additional staff and funding
would be needed to implement this
alternative.
Under Alternative C, in addition to
tasks included in Alternative A and B,
we would increase the frequency of
baseline monitoring, investigate
reintroduction of listed species (e.g., the
salt marsh harvest mouse and the
California clapper rail), survey for listed
plant species, and encourage additional
research to benefit listed species.
Additional staff and funding would be
needed to implement this alternative.
We received eighteen letters on the
Draft CCP and EA during the review and
comment period. Comments focused
upon the meaning of an ‘‘approved
acquisition boundary’’ and the scope of
our authority within the approved
boundary, applicability of state health
and safety codes in relation to mosquito
management on the Refuge, and
wildlife-public use conflicts. We
incorporated comments we received
into the CCP when appropriate, and we
responded to the comments in an
appendix to the CCP. In the FONSI, we
selected Alternative B for
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17:59 Apr 09, 2013
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implementation. The FONSI documents
our decision and is based on the
information and analysis contained in
the EA.
Under the selected alternative, the
Service will expand both natural
resource management and visitor
services opportunities on the Refuge.
Additional biological activities would
include baseline surveys on native flora
and fauna, as well as a revised predator
management program to include avian
predators. Habitat would be improved
along the marsh-upland ecotone to
benefit tidal marsh species as well as for
the western snowy plover and California
least tern. Other habitat management
activities would include development of
a comprehensive weed management
plan, addressing climate change impacts
on Refuge resources, and efforts to
acquire additional lands to meet Refuge
purposes. A mosquito management plan
would be implemented to improve
coordination with local mosquito
abatement districts to manage the threat
of mosquito-borne disease on the
Refuge. The mosquito management plan
would be developed in accordance with
Service policies.
Visitor services will be expanded
considerably through interpretation and
environmental education opportunities.
A wildlife photography permit system
would be implemented to expand
additional wildlife photography
opportunities. Dog walking would be
limited primarily to upland trails in
order to further protect tidal marsh
areas. A new LEED-certified visitor
center complex would be constructed
and additional interpretation activities
would be provided. The environmental
education program would be updated
and expanded in several ways, such as
through a LEED-certified remodel of the
Environmental Education Center,
Spanish translation of materials and
curriculum, and adding programs at
different sites. The volunteer program
would be expanded through improving
training for volunteers and developing
permanent stewardship projects.
The selected alternative best meets
the Refuges’ purposes, vision, and goals;
contributes to the Refuge System
mission; addresses the significant issues
and relevant mandates; and is consistent
with principles of sound fish and
wildlife management. Based on the
associated environmental assessment,
this alternative is not expected to result
in significant environmental impacts
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and therefore does not require an
environmental impact statement.
Paul B. McKim,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest
Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2013–08338 Filed 4–9–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Indian Gaming Commission
Notice of Intent to Prepare a
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Approval of a
Gaming Management Contract
National Indian Gaming
Commission, Interior.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
Notice.
This notice advises the public
that the National Indian Gaming
Commission (NIGC) as lead agency, in
cooperation with the Jamul Indian
Village (Tribe), intends to gather
information necessary to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (SEIS) for the proposed
Gaming Management Contract between
the Tribe and San Diego Gaming
Ventures, LLC (SDGV). The Gaming
Management Contract, if approved,
would allow SDGV to manage the
approved 203,000 square foot tribal
gaming facility to be located on the
Tribe’s Reservation, which qualifies as
‘‘Indian Lands’’ pursuant to 25 U.S.C.
2703.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA),
Pacific Region, Division of
Environmental, Cultural Resources
Management & Safety will serve as
environmental staff to the NIGC in the
preparation of the SEIS. As such, the
BIA is the contact for further
information, in lieu of the NIGC.
This notice also announces that no
public scoping meeting will be held for
the SEIS.
SUMMARY:
Written comments on the scope
and implementation of this proposal
must arrive by May 10, 2013. No public
scoping meeting will be held for the
proposal given the long history of the
project and the extensive public input
received to-date.
DATES:
You may mail, email, hand
carry or fax written comments to: Mr.
John Rydzik, Chief, Division of
Environmental, Cultural Resources
Management &Safety, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage
Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; Facsimile
(916) 978–6055; Email
john.rydzik@bia.gov.
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\10APN1.SGM
10APN1
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 69 / Wednesday, April 10, 2013 / Notices
Mr.
John Rydzik (916) 978–6051.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe
is requesting NIGC approval of a
Gaming Management Contract between
the Tribe and SDGV for the management
of a 203,000 square foot gaming facility
on the Tribe’s Reservation, which is
located in unincorporated San Diego
County approximately 1-mile south of
the unincorporated community of
Jamul. Pursuant to the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act, signed into law on
October 17, 1988, the Tribe may enter
into a Gaming Management Contract for
the operation and management of a
gaming facility subject to the approval
of the NIGC. The purpose of the
Proposed Action is to help provide for
the economic development of the Jamul
Reservation.
The enterprise to be managed
includes a gaming facility, a multi-level
parking structure, surface parking lot,
fire-fighting facilities, wastewater
treatment plant/disposal facilities, water
delivery system, and improved on-site
traffic circulation. The main use within
the gaming facility is the gaming floor,
which would contain slot machines,
table games, and poker entertainment.
The total estimated gaming floor area for
the gaming facility is 70,000 square feet.
The exterior of the complex would
include downcast lighting consistent
with San Diego County codes and
ordinances to maintain consistency with
the surrounding area.
The environmental effects of a gaming
facility on the Tribe’s Reservation has
been extensively studied and evaluated
since 2000 when the Tribe originally
approached the BIA and NIGC with feeto-trust and Gaming Management
Contract requests. Serving as the lead
agency for these initial requests, the BIA
originally developed and published an
environmental assessment (EA) on
February 1, 2001. The NIGC served as a
Cooperating Agency for this early
request. The Final EA was completed
and published in November 2001.
Following a decision by the BIA and
NIGC that the mitigation measures in
the EA were too provisional, the BIA
and NIGC developed an environmental
impact statement (EIS) for the proposed
fee-to-trust and Management Contract
requests. The notice of intent for the EIS
was published in the Federal Register
on April 2, 2002 (67 FR 15583). The
notice of availability for the Draft EIS
was published in the Federal Register
on January 17, 2003 (68 FR 2538). After
release of the Draft EIS, a public meeting
was held on February 6, 2003 at the El
Cajon Community Center to take
comments from the public. Following
TKELLEY on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
17:59 Apr 09, 2013
Jkt 229001
receipt and consideration of all
comments on the Draft EIS, the notice
of availability of the Final EIS was
published on November 14, 2003 (68 FR
64622).
Between late 2003 and early 2006, the
Tribe revised their project to eliminate
the fee-to-trust component and to
reconfigure all uses onto the existing
Reservation except for an access road,
which is designed to travel through
adjacent tribally owned land connecting
the Reservation with State Route 94.
The project modifications were
evaluated by the Tribe in a Tribal
Environmental Impact Statement/Report
(December 2006). Additional changes to
the project resulted in the release of a
Draft Tribal Environmental Evaluation
(Tribal EE) in March 2012 and a Final
Tribal EE in January 2013. Between
release of the Draft and Final Tribal EE,
the Tribe provided a public comment
period and held a public meeting to
accept comments on the Draft Tribal EE.
All written and oral comments provided
by the public during the comment
period were responded to and
incorporated into the Final Tribal EE.
The Final Tribal EE was certified as
adequate and complete by the Tribe in
January 2013. Now that the Tribe has
completed the final version of the
proposed gaming facility, they are
requesting NIGC approval of a Gaming
Management Contract between the Tribe
and SDGV.
The gaming facility has always been
designed to be located on the
Reservation; however, other uses such
as the wastewater treatment/disposal
facilities, fire-fighting facilities, and
structured parking were designed to be
located on adjacent land north of the
Reservation. The reconfiguration of uses
to place all features on the Reservation,
together with the passage of time since
the Final EIS was circulated, has
resulted in the need for the NIGC to
develop and issue an SEIS to address
these changes. No other alternatives will
be addressed in the SEIS.
Issues to be addressed in the SEIS
include updating the environmental
baseline and impact/mitigation analysis
of the 2003 Final EIS as it relates to the
new design alternative. Areas to be
analyzed include land resources, water
resources, air quality, biological
resources, cultural and paleontological
resources, socioeconomics,
transportation, land use, agriculture,
public services, noise, hazardous
materials and visual resources.
Directions for Submitting Public
Comments: Please include your name,
return address, and the caption ‘‘SEIS
Jamul Gaming Project’’ on the first page
of any written comments you submit.
PO 00000
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Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
21399
Please note that comments will only be
received in writing by email, facsimile
or regular mail. Pursuant to 40 CFR
1502.9, no public scoping meeting will
be held for this SEIS.
Public Availability of Comments:
Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at the BIA,
Pacific Region address shown in the
ADDRESSES section of this notice, during
regular business hours, Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Before
including your address, phone number,
email 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 25 U.S.C. 2711, section
1501.7 of the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508), and the Department of the
Interior regulations (43 CFR part 46),
implementing the procedural requirements of
NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
Dated: April 4, 2013.
Dawn Houle,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 2013–08267 Filed 4–9–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7565–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–12465;
PCU00RP14.R50000–PPWOCRADN0]
Notice of Inventory Completion: Center
for Archaeological Research at the
University of Texas at San Antonio, TX
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Center for Archaeological
Research at the University of Texas at
San Antonio has completed an
inventory of human remains, in
consultation with the appropriate
Indian tribe, and has determined that
there is a cultural affiliation between the
human remains and a present-day
Indian tribe. Representatives of any
Indian tribe that believes itself to be
culturally affiliated with the human
remains may contact the Center for
Archaeological Research at the
University of Texas at San Antonio.
Repatriation of the human remains to
the Indian tribe stated below may occur
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10APN1.SGM
10APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 69 (Wednesday, April 10, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21398-21399]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-08267]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Indian Gaming Commission
Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for the Approval of a Gaming Management Contract
AGENCY: National Indian Gaming Commission, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the National Indian Gaming
Commission (NIGC) as lead agency, in cooperation with the Jamul Indian
Village (Tribe), intends to gather information necessary to prepare a
supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the proposed
Gaming Management Contract between the Tribe and San Diego Gaming
Ventures, LLC (SDGV). The Gaming Management Contract, if approved,
would allow SDGV to manage the approved 203,000 square foot tribal
gaming facility to be located on the Tribe's Reservation, which
qualifies as ``Indian Lands'' pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 2703.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Pacific Region, Division of
Environmental, Cultural Resources Management & Safety will serve as
environmental staff to the NIGC in the preparation of the SEIS. As
such, the BIA is the contact for further information, in lieu of the
NIGC.
This notice also announces that no public scoping meeting will be
held for the SEIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this
proposal must arrive by May 10, 2013. No public scoping meeting will be
held for the proposal given the long history of the project and the
extensive public input received to-date.
ADDRESSES: You may mail, email, hand carry or fax written comments to:
Mr. John Rydzik, Chief, Division of Environmental, Cultural Resources
Management &Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825; Facsimile (916) 978-6055; Email
john.rydzik@bia.gov.
[[Page 21399]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Rydzik (916) 978-6051.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe is requesting NIGC approval of a
Gaming Management Contract between the Tribe and SDGV for the
management of a 203,000 square foot gaming facility on the Tribe's
Reservation, which is located in unincorporated San Diego County
approximately 1-mile south of the unincorporated community of Jamul.
Pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, signed into law on
October 17, 1988, the Tribe may enter into a Gaming Management Contract
for the operation and management of a gaming facility subject to the
approval of the NIGC. The purpose of the Proposed Action is to help
provide for the economic development of the Jamul Reservation.
The enterprise to be managed includes a gaming facility, a multi-
level parking structure, surface parking lot, fire-fighting facilities,
wastewater treatment plant/disposal facilities, water delivery system,
and improved on-site traffic circulation. The main use within the
gaming facility is the gaming floor, which would contain slot machines,
table games, and poker entertainment. The total estimated gaming floor
area for the gaming facility is 70,000 square feet. The exterior of the
complex would include downcast lighting consistent with San Diego
County codes and ordinances to maintain consistency with the
surrounding area.
The environmental effects of a gaming facility on the Tribe's
Reservation has been extensively studied and evaluated since 2000 when
the Tribe originally approached the BIA and NIGC with fee-to-trust and
Gaming Management Contract requests. Serving as the lead agency for
these initial requests, the BIA originally developed and published an
environmental assessment (EA) on February 1, 2001. The NIGC served as a
Cooperating Agency for this early request. The Final EA was completed
and published in November 2001. Following a decision by the BIA and
NIGC that the mitigation measures in the EA were too provisional, the
BIA and NIGC developed an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the
proposed fee-to-trust and Management Contract requests. The notice of
intent for the EIS was published in the Federal Register on April 2,
2002 (67 FR 15583). The notice of availability for the Draft EIS was
published in the Federal Register on January 17, 2003 (68 FR 2538).
After release of the Draft EIS, a public meeting was held on February
6, 2003 at the El Cajon Community Center to take comments from the
public. Following receipt and consideration of all comments on the
Draft EIS, the notice of availability of the Final EIS was published on
November 14, 2003 (68 FR 64622).
Between late 2003 and early 2006, the Tribe revised their project
to eliminate the fee-to-trust component and to reconfigure all uses
onto the existing Reservation except for an access road, which is
designed to travel through adjacent tribally owned land connecting the
Reservation with State Route 94. The project modifications were
evaluated by the Tribe in a Tribal Environmental Impact Statement/
Report (December 2006). Additional changes to the project resulted in
the release of a Draft Tribal Environmental Evaluation (Tribal EE) in
March 2012 and a Final Tribal EE in January 2013. Between release of
the Draft and Final Tribal EE, the Tribe provided a public comment
period and held a public meeting to accept comments on the Draft Tribal
EE. All written and oral comments provided by the public during the
comment period were responded to and incorporated into the Final Tribal
EE. The Final Tribal EE was certified as adequate and complete by the
Tribe in January 2013. Now that the Tribe has completed the final
version of the proposed gaming facility, they are requesting NIGC
approval of a Gaming Management Contract between the Tribe and SDGV.
The gaming facility has always been designed to be located on the
Reservation; however, other uses such as the wastewater treatment/
disposal facilities, fire-fighting facilities, and structured parking
were designed to be located on adjacent land north of the Reservation.
The reconfiguration of uses to place all features on the Reservation,
together with the passage of time since the Final EIS was circulated,
has resulted in the need for the NIGC to develop and issue an SEIS to
address these changes. No other alternatives will be addressed in the
SEIS.
Issues to be addressed in the SEIS include updating the
environmental baseline and impact/mitigation analysis of the 2003 Final
EIS as it relates to the new design alternative. Areas to be analyzed
include land resources, water resources, air quality, biological
resources, cultural and paleontological resources, socioeconomics,
transportation, land use, agriculture, public services, noise,
hazardous materials and visual resources.
Directions for Submitting Public Comments: Please include your
name, return address, and the caption ``SEIS Jamul Gaming Project'' on
the first page of any written comments you submit. Please note that
comments will only be received in writing by email, facsimile or
regular mail. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1502.9, no public scoping meeting will
be held for this SEIS.
Public Availability of Comments: Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the
BIA, Pacific Region address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this
notice, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, except
holidays. Before including your address, phone number, email 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 25
U.S.C. 2711, section 1501.7 of the Council on Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508), and the Department of
the Interior regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the
procedural requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.).
Dated: April 4, 2013.
Dawn Houle,
Chief of Staff.
[FR Doc. 2013-08267 Filed 4-9-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7565-01-P
