[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 249 (Tuesday, December 29, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81352-81353]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-32739]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[167 A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Draft 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 of Availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Wilton Rancheria (Tribe), City 
of Galt (City), Sacramento County (County), and the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) serving as cooperating agencies, 
intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the 
EPA for the Wilton Rancheria fee-to-trust and casino project, 
Sacramento County, California. This notice announces that the DEIS is 
now available for public review and that a public hearing will be held 
to receive comments on the DEIS.

DATES: Comments on the DEIS must arrive by February 12, 2016. The date 
of the public hearing will be announced at least 15 days in advance 
through a notice to be published in local newspapers (Galt Herald and 
Sacramento Bee) and online at http://www.wiltoneis.com.

ADDRESSES: The DEIS is available for public review at the Galt Branch 
of the Sacramento Public Library, 1000 Caroline Ave., Galt, California 
95632. You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Ms. Amy 
Dutschke, Pacific Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. You may also submit comments 
through email to Mr. John Rydzik, Chief, Division of Environmental, 
Cultural Resource Management and Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, at 
[email protected].
    The location of the public hearing will be announced at least 15 
days in advance through a notice to be published in local newspapers 
(Galt Herald and Sacramento Bee) and online at http://www.wiltoneis.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. John Rydzik, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, 
California 95825, (916) 978-6051, [email protected]. Information is 
also available online at http://www.wiltoneis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the 
administrative process for the evaluation of the Tribe's application to 
BIA for the Federal trust acquisition of approximately 282 acres in 
Sacramento County, California. The Tribe proposes to construct a 
casino/hotel/resort on the property. A Notice of Intent (NOI) was 
published in the Sacramento Bee, the Galt Herald, and Federal Register 
on December 4, 2013. The BIA held a public scoping meeting for the 
project on December 19, 2013, at the Chabolla Community Center in Galt, 
California. Pursuant to Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (40 CFR 1506.10), the 
publication of this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register 
initiates a 45-day public comment period on the DEIS.

Background

    The Tribe has requested that BIA take into trust 282 acres of land 
(known as the Twin Cities site) currently held in fee, on which the 
Tribe proposed to construct a casino, hotel, parking area, and other 
ancillary facilities (Proposed Project). 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 
Proposed Project would contain 110,260 square-feet (sf) of gaming floor 
area, a 12-story hotel with 302 guest rooms, a 360-seat buffet, 60-seat 
pool grill, other food and beverage providers, a 2,600 sf retail area, 
a fitness center, spa, and an approximately 48,000 sf convention 
center. Access to the Twin Cities site would be provided via an 
improved Mingo Road interchange on Highway 99. The following 
alternatives are considered in the DEIS:

[ssquf] Alternative A--Proposed Twin Cities Casino Resort
[ssquf] Alternative B--Reduced Twin Cities Casino
[ssquf] Alternative C--Retail on the Twin Cities Site
[ssquf] Alternative D--Casino Resort at Historic Rancheria Site
[ssquf] Alternative E--Reduced Intensity Casino at Historic Rancheria 
Site
[ssquf] Alternative F--Casino Resort at Mall Site
[ssquf] Alternative G--No Action

    Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include geology and 
soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and 
paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including 
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use, 
public services, noise, hazardous

[[Page 81353]]

materials, aesthetics, cumulative effects, and indirect and growth 
inducing effects.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption: ``DEIS Comments, Wilton Rancheria Fee-
to-Trust and Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments. If emailing comments, please use ``DEIS Comments, Wilton 
Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project'' as the subject of your 
email.
    Locations where the DEIS is Available for Review: The DEIS is 
available for review during regular business hours at the BIA Pacific 
Regional Office and the Galt Branch of the Sacramento Public Library at 
the addresses noted above in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. The 
DEIS is also available online at http://www.wiltoneis.com. To obtain a 
compact disc copy of the DEIS, please provide your name and address in 
writing or by voicemail to Mr. John Rydzik, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
at the address or phone number above in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper copies of the DEIS 
will 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 during 
regular business hours at the BIA mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice. 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 may 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 the Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the NEPA of l969, 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: December 18, 2015.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2015-32739 Filed 12-28-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P