Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Tejon Indian Tribe's Proposed Trust Acquisition and Casino Project, Kern County, California, 48559 [2015-19973]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 156 / Thursday, August 13, 2015 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[156A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900 253G]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Tejon Indian Tribe’s Proposed
Trust Acquisition and Casino Project,
Kern County, California
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
This notice advises the public
that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
as lead agency and the Tejon Indian
Tribe (Tribe) as cooperating agency
intend to gather information necessary
to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Tribe’s Proposed
Trust Acquisition and Casino Project,
Kern County, California. This notice
also opens public scoping to identify
potential issues, concerns and
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.
DATES: To ensure consideration during
the development of the EIS, written
comments on the scope of the EIS
should be sent as soon as possible and
no later than September 14, 2015. The
date of the public scoping meeting will
be announced at least 15 days in
advance through a notice to be
published in the local newspaper (the
Bakersfield Californian) and online at
https://www.tejoneis.com.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or handdeliver written comments to Amy
Dutschke, Regional Director, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800
Cottage Way, Sacramento, California
95825. Please include your name, return
address, and ‘‘NOI Comments, Tejon
Indian Tribe Project’’ on the first page
of your written comments. The location
of the public scoping meeting will be
announced at least 15 days in advance
through a notice to be published in the
local newspaper (the Bakersfield
Californian) and online at https://
www.tejoneis.com.
SUMMARY:
Mr.
John Rydzik, Chief, Division of
Environmental, Cultural Resource
Management and Safety, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office,
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, Room
W–2820, Sacramento, California 95825,
telephone (916) 978–6051, email
john.rydzik@bia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
proposed action and a reasonable range
of alternatives, including a no-action
alternative, will be analyzed in the EIS.
The Tribe has submitted a request to the
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
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16:56 Aug 12, 2015
Jkt 235001
Department of the Interior (Department)
for the placement of approximately 306
acres of fee land in trust by the United
States upon which the Tribe would
construct a gaming facility. The facility
would initially be approximately
250,000 square feet, and in a subsequent
phase, an approximately 300-room hotel
and banquet space would be added.
Accordingly, the proposed action for the
Department is the acquisition requested
by the Tribe. The proposed fee-to-trust
property is located in unincorporated
Kern County, immediately west of the
town of Mettler and approximately 14
miles south of the City of Bakersfield.
The property is comprised of four
parcels, Assessor’s Parcel Numbers
(APN’s) 238–204–02, 238–204–04, 238–
204–07 and 238–204–14. The purpose of
the proposed action is to improve the
economic status of the Tribal
government so it can better provide
housing, health care, education, cultural
programs, and other services to its
members.
The proposed action encompasses the
various Federal approvals which may be
required to implement the Tribe’s
proposed economic development
project, including approval of the
Tribe’s fee-to-trust application. The EIS
will identify and evaluate issues related
to these approvals, and will also
evaluate a range of reasonable
alternatives. Other possible alternatives
currently under consideration are a
reduced-intensity casino alternative, an
alternate-use (non-casino) alternative
and one or more off-site alternatives.
The range of issues and alternatives may
be expanded based on comments
received during the scoping process.
Areas of environmental concern
preliminarily identified for analysis in
the EIS include land resources; water
resources; air quality; noise; biological
resources; cultural/historical/
archaeological resources; resource use
patterns; traffic and transportation;
public health and safety; hazardous
materials and hazardous wastes; public
services and utilities; socioeconomics;
environmental justice; visual resources/
aesthetics; and cumulative, indirect, and
growth-inducing effects. Additional
information, including a map of the
project site, is available by contacting
the person listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
notice.
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 regular business hours, 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through
Friday, except holidays. Before
PO 00000
Frm 00084
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
48559
including your address, telephone
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 in your comment that
your personal identifying information
be withheld from public review, BIA
cannot guarantee that this will occur.
Authority: This notice is published in
accordance with sections 1503.1 and
1506.6 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. 4321–4345 et seq.),
and the Department of the Interior
National Environmental Policy Act
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), and is in
the exercise of authority delegated to the
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by
209 DM 8.
Dated: August 6, 2015.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015–19973 Filed 8–12–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[156A2100DD/AAKC001030/
A0A501010.999900 253G]
Indian Gaming
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Tribal-State Class III
Gaming Compacts taking effect.
AGENCY:
The Department provides
notice that the Indian Gaming Compact
between the State of New Mexico and
Ohkay Owingeh governing Class III
gaming (Compact) is in effect pursuant
to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
DATES: Effective Date: August 13, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Paula L. Hart, Director, Office of Indian
Gaming, Office of the Deputy Assistant
Secretary—Policy and Economic
Development, Washington, DC 20240,
(202) 219–4066.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under
section 11 of the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act (IGRA) Public Law 100–
497, 25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq., the
Secretary of the Interior shall publish in
the Federal Register notice of approved
Tribal-State compacts for the purpose of
engaging in Class III gaming activities
on Indian lands. As required by 25 CFR
293.4, all compacts are subject to review
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\13AUN1.SGM
13AUN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 156 (Thursday, August 13, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 48559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-19973]
[[Page 48559]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[156A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Tejon Indian Tribe's Proposed Trust Acquisition and Casino Project,
Kern County, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency and the Tejon Indian Tribe (Tribe) as
cooperating agency intend to gather information necessary to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Tribe's Proposed Trust
Acquisition and Casino Project, Kern County, California. This notice
also opens public scoping to identify potential issues, concerns and
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.
DATES: To ensure consideration during the development of the EIS,
written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent as soon as
possible and no later than September 14, 2015. The date of the public
scoping meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through a
notice to be published in the local newspaper (the Bakersfield
Californian) and online at https://www.tejoneis.com.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Amy
Dutschke, Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region,
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. Please include your
name, return address, and ``NOI Comments, Tejon Indian Tribe Project''
on the first page of your written comments. The location of the public
scoping meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through a
notice to be published in the local newspaper (the Bakersfield
Californian) and online at https://www.tejoneis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Rydzik, Chief, Division of
Environmental, Cultural Resource Management and Safety, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,
Room W-2820, Sacramento, California 95825, telephone (916) 978-6051,
email john.rydzik@bia.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action and a reasonable range
of alternatives, including a no-action alternative, will be analyzed in
the EIS. The Tribe has submitted a request to the Department of the
Interior (Department) for the placement of approximately 306 acres of
fee land in trust by the United States upon which the Tribe would
construct a gaming facility. The facility would initially be
approximately 250,000 square feet, and in a subsequent phase, an
approximately 300-room hotel and banquet space would be added.
Accordingly, the proposed action for the Department is the acquisition
requested by the Tribe. The proposed fee-to-trust property is located
in unincorporated Kern County, immediately west of the town of Mettler
and approximately 14 miles south of the City of Bakersfield. The
property is comprised of four parcels, Assessor's Parcel Numbers
(APN's) 238-204-02, 238-204-04, 238-204-07 and 238-204-14. The purpose
of the proposed action is to improve the economic status of the Tribal
government so it can better provide housing, health care, education,
cultural programs, and other services to its members.
The proposed action encompasses the various Federal approvals which
may be required to implement the Tribe's proposed economic development
project, including approval of the Tribe's fee-to-trust application.
The EIS will identify and evaluate issues related to these approvals,
and will also evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives. Other
possible alternatives currently under consideration are a reduced-
intensity casino alternative, an alternate-use (non-casino) alternative
and one or more off-site alternatives. The range of issues and
alternatives may be expanded based on comments received during the
scoping process.
Areas of environmental concern preliminarily identified for
analysis in the EIS include land resources; water resources; air
quality; noise; biological resources; cultural/historical/
archaeological resources; resource use patterns; traffic and
transportation; public health and safety; hazardous materials and
hazardous wastes; public services and utilities; socioeconomics;
environmental justice; visual resources/aesthetics; and cumulative,
indirect, and growth-inducing effects. Additional information,
including a map of the project site, is available by contacting the
person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this
notice.
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 regular business
hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.
Before including your address, telephone 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 in your comment that your personal identifying information be
withheld from public review, BIA cannot guarantee that this will occur.
Authority: This notice is published in accordance with sections
1503.1 and 1506.6 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. 4321-4345 et seq.), and the Department of the
Interior National Environmental Policy Act Regulations (43 CFR part
46), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: August 6, 2015.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-19973 Filed 8-12-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P
