[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 18767-18768]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5383]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cowlitz Indian 
Tribe's Proposed 151.87 Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer, Reservation 
Proclamation and Casino-Resort Project, Clark County, Washington

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 Cowlitz Indian Tribe (Tribe), 
National Indian Gaming Commission, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 
Washington Department of Transportation, Clark County, Clark County 
Sheriff's Office, Cowlitz County, City of La Center, City of Vancouver, 
City of Ridgefield, Port of

[[Page 18768]]

Ridgefield, City of Woodland, and City of Battle Ground as cooperating 
agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
with the EPA for the proposed 151.87 acre fee-to-trust transfer, 
reservation proclamation, and casino-resort complex construction. This 
notice also announces two public hearings to receive comments on the 
DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by July 14, 2006. The 
public hearings will be held June 14 and 15, 2006, starting at 6 p.m. 
and continuing until the last public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Stanley 
Speaks, Director, Northwest Region, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 911 NE. 
11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232.
    Both public hearings will be held at the Skyview High School, 1300 
NW. 139th Street, Vancouver, Washington 98685. The BIA will be hosting 
these hearings.
    The DEIS is available for public review at the following branches 
of the Ft. Vancouver Public Library: La Center Community Library, 1402 
E. Lockwood Creek Road, La Center, Washington 98629; and Ridgefield 
Community Library, 210 North Main Avenue, Ridgefield, Washington 98642. 
General information for the Ft. Vancouver Public Library system can be 
obtained by calling (360) 695-1561. The DEIS is also available on the 
following Web sites: http://analyticalcorp.com/ and http://www.cowlitz.org/.
    If you would like to obtain a copy of the DEIS, please write to 
Chuck James, Acting Regional Environmental Protection Specialist, at 
the address provided above for the Northwest Region, or call him at the 
number provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chuck James, (530) 231-6229.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take 
151.87 acres of land into trust on behalf of the Tribe, for which the 
BIA would issue a reservation proclamation and on which the Tribe 
proposes to develop a casino-resort complex. The proposed project site 
encompasses eight contiguous tax lots in Clark County, Washington, near 
the cities of La Center and Ridgefield. The project site is located 
along NW. 319th Street between NW. 41st Avenue and NW. 31st Avenue, and 
adjacent to Interstate 5 (I-5) at the NW. 319th Street Interchange (the 
La Center Interchange).
    The proposed casino-resort complex would include an RV park, 
wastewater treatment plant, Tribal offices, a cultural center and 
Tribal elder housing. Regional access to the project site would 
continue to be via I-5. The NW. 319th Street would provide primary 
access to local housing to the west of the site and to the casino-
resort complex. It would, however, be re-routed to a more southerly 
location within the proposed project site to allow development of the 
casino and hotel facilities north of NW. 319th Street, without 
encroachment into wetlands and wetland buffer areas.
    A range of project alternatives is considered in the DEIS, 
including: (1) Proposed casino-resort complex; (2) proposed casino-
resort complex without re-routing NW 319th Street; (3) reduced 
intensity; (4) business park; (5) casino-resort complex at the 
Ridgefield Interchange Site; and (6) no action. Environmental issues to 
be 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 materials, aesthetics, cumulative effects, indirect effects 
and mitigation.
    The BIA held a public scoping meeting on the project on December 1, 
2004 in Vancouver, Washington.

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 business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 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 the 
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 the 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: March 27, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E6-5383 Filed 4-11-06; 8:45 am]
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