[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 10 (Thursday, January 15, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2120-2121]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00550]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[AAK6006201 156A2100DD AOR3030.999900]
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the
Proposed Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, City of
Medford, Jackson County, Oregon
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) pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in connection with the
Coquille Indian Tribe's (Tribe) application for a proposed 2.4-acre
fee-to-trust transfer and casino project to be located in the City of
Medford, Jackson County, Oregon. This notice also announces the
beginning of the public scoping process to solicit public comments and
identify issues.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS must arrive by February
17, 2015. The date of a public scoping meeting will be announced at
least 15 days in advance through a notice to be published in the local
newspaper, the Mail Tribune, and posted at www.coquilleeis.com.
ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Mr. Stanley
Speaks, Northwest Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Northwest Region, 911 Northeast 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232-
4165. Please include your name, return address, and ``DEIS Scoping
Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project'' on
the first page of your written comments. The location of a public
scoping meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through a
notice to be published in the local newspaper, the Mail Tribune, and
posted at www.coquilleeis.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. BJ Howerton, Bureau of Indian
Affairs, Northwest Regional Office, 911 Northeast 11th Avenue,
Portland, Oregon 97232; fax (503) 231-2275; phone (503) 231-6749.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has submitted an application to
the BIA requesting that approximately 2.4 acres of land be transferred
from fee to trust status (Proposed Action), upon which the Tribe would
renovate an existing bowling alley to convert it into a gaming
facility. In order for the Department to fully consider and either
grant or deny the Tribe's application, the Department must first comply
with NEPA.
The proposed fee-to-trust property is located within the
incorporated boundaries of the City of Medford, Oregon, adjacent to the
northeastern boundary of Highway 99, between Charlotte Ann Lane and
Lowry Lane. The Tribe's stated purpose of the Proposed Action is to
improve the economic status of the Tribe so it can better provide
housing, health care, education, cultural programs, and other services
to its members. Adjacent fee land would be used for parking.
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.
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 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, phone 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.
[[Page 2121]]
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 Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the exercise of
authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by
209 DM 8.1.
Dated: January 8, 2015.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-00550 Filed 1-14-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-2A-P