[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 19, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 20126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-3779]



[[Page 20126]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians and 
the Big Lagoon Rancheria's Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel 
Project, San Bernardino County, CA

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 National Indian Gaming 
Commission, Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians and 
Big Lagoon Rancheria as cooperating agencies, intends to gather 
information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for a proposed 45 acre fee-to-trust transfer and casino and hotel 
project to be located in San Bernardino County, California. The purpose 
of the proposed action is to help improve the tribal economy of the Los 
Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians and Big Lagoon Rancheria 
(hereinafter collectively referred to as the Tribes) and assist tribal 
members to attain economic self-sufficiency. This notice also announces 
a public scoping meeting to identify potential issues, concerns and 
alternatives to be considered in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by May 19, 2006. The public scoping meeting will 
be held May 4, 2006, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (local time), or until the 
last public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Clay Gregory, 
Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. Please include your 
name, return caption, address and ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Los Coyotes 
Band of Cahuilla and Cupeno Indians and Big Lagoon Rancheria, 45 Acre 
Fee to Trust Casino/Hotel Project, San Bernardino County, California,'' 
on the first page of your written comments.
    The public scoping meeting will be held in the Barstow Community 
College Gymnasium, 2700 Barstow Road, Barstow, California 92311.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6042.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribes propose that approximately 45 
acres of land be taken into trust and subsequently, two casinos, two 
hotels, parking and other facilities supporting the casinos be 
constructed on the proposed trust acquisition property. The subject 
property is located within the incorporated boundaries of the City of 
Barstow, San Bernardino County, California, just east of Interstate 15. 
State Highways 58 and 247 and Interstate 40 are located nearby.
    The site is predominantly undeveloped, bounded on the north by 
Mercantile Way, on the west by Lenwood Road and commercial/light 
industrial development, on the south by vacant Bureau of Land 
Management land and on the east by vacant land. The proposed project is 
to develop two adjacent casinos of approximately 49,000 square feet 
each. Associated facilities which would be constructed include food and 
beverage services, retail space, banquet/meeting space and 
administration space. Food and beverage facilities would include two 
full service restaurants, two food courts of four venues each, two 
coffee shops and two lounge bars. Two five-story hotels, each having 
approximately 100 rooms, would also be constructed. Approximately 3,900 
parking spaces would be provided, of which about one-fourth would be in 
two equally sized garages. Regional access to the project site is via 
Interstate 15 and State Highway 247. Lenwood Road and Mercantile Way 
would provide direct access to the proposed casino resort.
    Areas of environmental concern to be addressed in the EIS include 
land resources, water resources, biological resources, cultural 
resources, traffic and transportation, noise, air quality, public 
health/environmental hazards, public services and utilities, hazardous 
waste and materials, socio-economics, environmental justice and visual 
resources/aesthetics. In addition to the proposed action, a reasonable 
range of alternatives, including the no-action alternative, will be 
analyzed in the EIS. Other possible alternatives currently under 
consideration are two reduced-intensity alternatives and two alternate 
sites. The range of issues and alternatives may be expanded based on 
comments received during the scoping process.

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 sections 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.l.

    Dated: April 5, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 06-3779 Filed 4-18-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P