[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 246 (Friday, December 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Page 76325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-7787]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer From the Oneida Indian Nation of New 
York to the Bureau of Indian Affairs of 17,370 Acres of Land in Oneida 
and Madison Counties, NY

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, with the cooperation of the Oneida 
Indian Nation (Nation), intends to gather the information necessary for 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the taking into 
trust of 17,370 acres of land currently held in fee by the Nation. The 
purpose of the proposed action is to help ensure the Nation's cultural 
preservation, self-determination, self-sufficiency and economic 
independence as a federally recognized Indian tribe by securing the 
properties into its trust land base. This notice also announces public 
scoping meetings in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York, to identify 
potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS or implementation of 
the proposal must arrive by January 23, 2006.
    The public scoping meetings will be held January 10, 2006, and 
January 11, 2006, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., or until the last public 
comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry or telefax written comments to 
Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 
37214, Telefax (615) 564-6701. Please include your name, return address 
and the caption, ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Oneida Indian Nation of New 
York Trust Acquisition Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments.
    The January 10, 2006, public scoping meeting will be held in Oneida 
County at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School, 5275 State Route 31, 
Verona, New York 13478. The January 11, 2006, meeting will be held in 
Madison County at Oneida High School, 560 Seneca Street, Oneida, New 
York 13421.
    Additional information concerning the trust land application will 
be available for public review online at http://www.oneidanationtrust.net and at the following locations during regular 
business hours, Monday through Friday, except holidays: Oneida Nation 
Annex Building, 579A Main Street, Oneida, New York 13421 (business 
hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); Oneida City Hall, 109 N. Main Street, 
Downstairs Basement Room, Oneida, New York 13421; and Town of Verona 
Town Hall, 6600 Germany Road, Back Conference Room, Durhamville, New 
York 13054.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt G. Chandler, (615) 564-6832.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will assess the environmental 
consequences of BIA approval of the proposed transfer of 17,370 acres, 
in several non-contiguous parcels currently held in fee by the Nation 
in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York, into trust status for the 
benefit of the Nation. The parcels being considered for the fee-to-
trust transfer include gaming and resort properties, including the 
Turning Stone Casino resort in Verona, New York, housing for Nation 
members, health care facilities, government offices, commercial 
enterprises such as marinas, service stations and convenience stores, 
vacant and undeveloped lands and lands used for traditional Iroquois 
agriculture, for livestock and for hunting and fishing.
    The EIS will analyze all pertinent environmental, social and 
economic attributes of the affected environment and potential 
environmental consequences of taking the lands into trust. The BIA has 
so far identified infrastructure (including schools), socioeconomics 
(including taxes, employment, income, population and housing) and 
cumulative effects as key issues for analysis in the EIS. The range of 
issues may be further expanded, based on comments received in response 
to this notice and at the public scoping meetings.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at all of the mailing addresses shown in 
the ADDRESSES section (except those for the public meetings) during 
regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (unless otherwise shown), 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or 
address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of 
Information Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of 
your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent 
allowed by law. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. All 
submissions from organizations or businesses and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 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 et seq.), 
and the Department of Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

    Dated: December 16, 2005.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E5-7787 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
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