Indian Affairs Bureau May 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.10(h), the Department of the Interior (Department) gives notice that the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs (AS-IA) proposes to determine that the Biloxi, Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees, Inc. (BCCM), c/o Randy Verdun, 114 Retreat Drive, Bourg, Lousiana 70343, is not an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. This notice is based on a determination that the petitioner does not satisfy all seven of the criteria set forth in Part 83 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (25 CFR part 83), specifically criteria 83.7(b), 83.7(c), 83.7(d), and 83.7(e), and therefore, does not meet the requirements for a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

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 into trust pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 465, 25 CFR part 151, and 25 U.S.C. 2719(b)(1)(B).

The Deputy Secretary and the Associate Deputy Secretary made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 13,003.89 acres in trust for the Oneida Indian Nation of New York. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Deputy Secretary by 209 Departmental Manual 2.1 and delegated by the Deputy Secretary to the Associate Deputy Secretary under authority of Section 2 of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1950 (64 Stat. 2162), as amended.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is publishing regulations implementing section 2719 of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). IGRA allows Indian tribes to conduct class II and class III gaming activities on land acquired after October 17, 1988, only if the land meets certain exceptions. This rule articulates standards that the BIA will follow in interpreting the various exceptions to the gaming prohibitions contained in section 2719 of IGRA. It also establishes a process for submitting and considering applications from Indian tribes seeking to conduct class II or class III gaming activities on lands acquired in trust after October 17, 1988.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to cancel work on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Hannahville Tribe of Potawatomi Indians' Hotel and Casino Project in Romulus, Michigan. The EIS is no longer needed because the Department of the Interior has decided not to accept the land into trust, on the basis that the proposed action did not adequately meet criteria for trust acquisition in 25 CFR 151.3; 151.10(b); 151.10(c); and 151.11(b).

This notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to cancel work on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Greenville Rancheria's proposed Trust Acquisition and Casino Project, to have been located in Tehama County, California. The EIS is no longer needed because the Greenville Rancheria has not submitted a complete land acquisition application per 25 CFR 151 and has ceased pursuing activity on the EIS.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 631.05 acres of land into trust for the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of California on March 14, 2008. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is extending by 30 days the public comment period for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Absaloka Mine Crow Reservation South Extension Coal Lease Approval, Mine Development Plan and Related Federal and State Permitting Actions, announced in the Federal Register on March 21, 2008 (73 FR 15189). The closing date for public comments announced in the March 21, 2008, notice was May 5, 2008.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is submitting this information collection to the Office of Management and Budget for reinstatement of the Indian Child Welfare Annual Report form. The information collected will aid the BIA in fulfilling requirements of law. This reinstatement meets the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.