[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21948-21949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08515]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[AAK6006201 145A2100DD A0R3B3030.999900]
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Proposed Los
Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians 23-Acre Fee-to-Trust
Transfer and Casino-Hotel Project, City of Barstow, San Bernardino
County, California
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and
Cupe[ncaron]o Indians, National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the City of Barstow serving
as cooperating agencies, intends to file a FEIS with the EPA for the
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians Fee-to-Trust and
Casino-Hotel Project proposed to be located within the City of Barstow,
San Bernardino County, California, and that the FEIS is now available
for public review.
DATES: The Record of Decision (ROD) on the proposed action will be
issued on or after 30 days from the date the EPA publishes its Notice
of Availability in the Federal Register. Any comments on the FEIS must
arrive on or before 30 days following the date the EPA publishes its
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Amy
Dutschke, Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way,
[[Page 21949]]
Sacramento, California 95825. Telephone: (916) 978-6051.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and
Cupe[ncaron]o Indians has requested that the BIA take into trust 23
acres of land on which the Tribe proposes to construct a gaming
facility, hotel, parking areas and other facilities. The approximately
23-acre project site is located within the incorporated boundaries of
the City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, California, just east of
Interstate 15. Because this request is for land to be taken into trust
for gaming purposes, the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o
Indians has submitted an application under the Indian Reorganization
Act (25 U.S.C. 465 et seq. as implemented in 25 CFR part 151) and seeks
a determination of gaming eligibility under the Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719 et seq. as implemented in 25 CFR part
292). The FEIS supports both actions.
The proposed project includes the development of a casino with
approximately 57,070 square feet of gaming floor. Associated facilities
would include food and beverage services, retail space, banquet/meeting
space, and administration space. Food and beverage facilities would
include one full service restaurant, a ``Drive-in'' restaurant, a food
court with four venues, a coffee shop, three service bars, and a
lounge. The hotel would have approximately 100 rooms and a full service
restaurant. Both the gaming facility and the hotel would be open 24
hours a day, seven days a week. A total of 1,405 parking spaces would
be provided.
The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (A) Barstow
casino and hotel complex project, (B) Barstow Reduced Casino Hotel
Complex (Proposed Project described above), (C) a reduced intensity
casino at a 19-acre site within the Los Coyotes Reservation, (D) a non-
gaming alternative, specifically the development of a campground
facility within the Los Coyotes Reservation, and (E) a no-action
alternative. Alternative B has been identified as the Tribe's Preferred
Alternative, as discussed in the FEIS. The information and analysis
contained in the EIS, as well as its evaluation and assessment of the
Tribe's Preferred Alternative, are intended to assist the Department of
the Interior (Department) in its review of the issues presented in the
fee-to-trust application. The Preferred Alternative does not
necessarily reflect the Department's final decision because the
Department must further evaluate all of the criteria listed in 25 CFR
part 151 and 25 CFR part 292. The Department's consideration and
analysis of the applicable regulations may lead to a final decision
that selects an alternative other than the Preferred Alternative,
including no action, or a variant of the Preferred or another of the
alternatives analyzed in the FEIS.
Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include land resources,
water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources,
socioeconomic conditions, environmental justice, transportation, land
use, agriculture, public services, noise, hazardous materials, visual
resources, cumulative effects, indirect effects, growth inducing
effects and mitigation measures.
A public scoping meeting for the DEIS was held by the BIA on May 4,
2006 at the Barstow Community College Gymnasium in Barstow, California.
A Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal
Register on June 28, 2011 (76 FR 38677), and announced a 45 day review
period ending on September 14, 2011. The BIA held a public hearing on
the Draft EIS on July 27, 2011 in Barstow, California.
Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name,
return address, and the caption, ``FEIS Comments, Los Coyotes Band of
Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians Fee-to-Trust and Casino-Hotel
Project,'' on the first page of your written comments.
Locations Where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS will be
available for review at the San Bernardino County Public Library-
Barstow Branch, 304 East Buena Vista, Barstow, CA 92311; and the San
Diego County Public Library-Borrego Springs, 587 Palm Canyon,
125, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. General information for the
San Bernardino County Public Library--Barstow Branch can be obtained by
calling (760) 256-4850; information for the San Diego County Public
Library- Borrego Springs can be obtained by calling (760) 767-5761. The
FEIS is also available on the following Web site: http://www.loscoyoteseis.com.
To obtain a compact disk copy of the FEIS, please provide your name
and address in writing to John Rydzik, Chief, Division of Environmental
Cultural Resources Management and Safety listed in the FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice or by email to
[email protected]. Individual paper copies of the FEIS can also be
provided upon payment of applicable printing expenses by the requestor
for the number of copies requested.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the
BIA mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice,
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 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 pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of Interior
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural
requirements of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et
seq.), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.
Dated: April 8, 2014.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-08515 Filed 4-17-14; 8:45 am]
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