[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 233 (Wednesday, December 4, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72928-72929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29009]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[AAK6006201 134A2100DD AOR3B3030.999900]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, 
Sacramento County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency intends to gather information necessary 
for preparing an environmental impact statement (EIS) in connection 
with the Wilton Rancheria's (Tribe) application requesting that the 
United States acquire land in trust in Sacramento County, California, 
for the construction and operation of a gaming facility.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS must arrive by January 
6, 2014. The public scoping meeting will be held on December 19, 2013, 
from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., or until the last public comment is received.

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, Wilton Rancheria Project'' on 
the first page of your written comments. The scoping meeting will be 
held at the Chabolla Community Center, 600 Chabolla Ave., Galt, 
California 95632.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 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, California 95825, telephone (916) 978-6051, email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has sumitted an application to the 
Department requesting the placement of approximately 282 acres of fee 
land in trust by the United States upon which the Tribe would construct 
a gaming facility. Accordingly, the proposed action for the Department 
is the acquisition requested by the Tribe. The proposed fee-to-trust 
property is located within the City of Galt Sphere of Influence Area in 
unincorporated Sacramento County, California, north of Twin Cities Road 
between State Highway 99 and the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The 
Sacramento County Assessor's parcel numbers (APNs) for the site are 
148-0010-018, 148-0041-009, 148-0041-006, 148-0041-004, 148-0041-001, 
148-0031-007, and 148-0010-060. 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.
    Areas of environmental concern 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. The 
range of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS may be 
expanded or reduced based on comments received in response to this 
notice and at the public scoping

[[Page 72929]]

meeting. 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, the 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 Implementation 
Policy (43 CFR part 46), and is in the exercise of authority 
delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: November 26, 2013.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-29009 Filed 12-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P