Indian Affairs Bureau May 30, 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).