[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 78 (Monday, April 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21034-21036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6105]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Community Development on the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Tribe 
Reservation, Clark County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA), in cooperation with the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Tribe 
(Tribe), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers (USACE), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), intends 
to gather information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS). The proposed Federal actions by the BIA and 
cooperating agencies include approval of a lease, issuance of rights-
of-way grants, permits, and/or other agreements between Federal 
agencies, the Tribe and the LasCal Development Group, LLC (LasCal 
Development) for the construction, operation and maintenance of 
residential and commercial development, as well as the necessary 
infrastructure, on the Las Vegas Paiute Indian Reservation 
(Reservation) in Clark County, Nevada. The purpose of this project is 
to provide an expanded economic base for the Tribe while simultaneously 
providing needed housing for tribal and non-tribal

[[Page 21035]]

members in the greater Las Vegas area. This notice also announces two 
public scoping meetings to identify potential issues and alternatives 
for inclusion in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by May 30, 2006. The public scoping meetings will 
be held on Monday, May 15, 2006, and Tuesday, May 16, 2006. Both 
meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until 8:30 p.m. (local 
time), or until the last public comments are received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry, or telefax written comments to 
either (1) Amy L. Heuslein, Regional Environmental Protection Officer, 
BIA, Western Regional Office, P.O. Box 10, located at 400 North Fifth 
Street, 14th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85001, Telefax (602) 379-3833; or 
(2) Paul Schlafly, Natural Resource Specialist, BIA, Southern Paiute 
Agency, 180 North 200 East Suite 111, St. George, Utah 84771, 
Telefax (435) 674-9714. Comments may also be submitted via e-mail to 
the following address: [email protected].
    The May 15, 2006, public scoping meeting will be held at the BLM 
Field Office, 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada. The May 
16, 2006, public scoping meeting will be held at the Las Vegas Paiute 
Community Center, 1 Paiute Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Heuslein, (602) 379-6750, or Paul 
Schlafly, (435) 674-9720.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will assess the environmental 
consequences of proposed federal actions encompassing the proposed 
project components described below. The federal actions that may be 
required are as follows: (1) BIA approval of a 99-year lease between 
LasCal Development and the Tribe, and of rights-of-way grants, permits 
and/or other agreements, as appropriate; (2) BLM issuance of leases and 
rights-of-way grants for infrastructure components adjacent to the 
project area; (3) USACE issuance of Clean Water Act permits; and (4) 
EPA issuance of Clean Water Act permits. The proposed project area is 
located in the central portion of the Reservation in Sections 25, 26, 
27, 34, 35, and 36 of Township 19 South, Range 59 East, Mount Diablo 
Meridian, in Clark County, approximately 15 miles northwest of Las 
Vegas, Nevada. The Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort currently occupies 
approximately 700 acres in the eastern portion of the Reservation.
    The proposed lease property consists of approximately 2,000 acres 
of the total of 3,200 developable acres on either side of U.S. Highway 
95 (US95), which diagonally bisects the property. LasCal Development 
would construct a mixed residential and commercial development on this 
property. The development would potentially serve an estimated 
population of 12,500 to 25,000 people. Operation and maintenance of the 
proposed project facilities would be managed by the following entities: 
Nevada Power, Las Vegas Valley Water District, Southwest Gas, Sprint 
Communications, Cox Cable, the City of Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas 
Paiute Snow Mountain Recreation Group. LasCal Development would provide 
construction and reclamation bonds suitable to both the BIA and the 
Tribe.
    The proposed project includes residential housing, commercial 
retail and office space, a casino with 75,000-square feet of gaming 
space, tribal and non-tribal housing, two elementary schools, one 
middle school, maintenance facilities, parks, recreational trails, 
roadways, utility rights-of-way and open space corridors. The proposed 
project would be developed in at least two phases. Phase I would 
include the project area located to the east of US95. Phase II would 
include the project area to the west of US95.
    Infrastructure development would include the construction of a new 
highway interchange, storm water conveyance system, internal roadways, 
as well as connections to existing electrical, natural gas, water, and 
sewage facilities. The new highway interchange on US95 would be located 
in the southeast portion of the project area. Internal roadways in the 
project area would consist of six-lane collector roads, four-lane 
residential roads, and two-lane residential roads connected to 
surrounding existing roadways.
    Utilities, including natural gas, water and sewage facilities, 
would be developed in coordination with roadway infrastructure 
development to the extent possible and would be connected to existing 
utilities located adjacent to the proposed project area. Water for 
construction and operation of the development would be obtained from 
three separate water pressure zones extending from the existing Las 
Vegas Valley Water District infrastructure. Electricity for Phase I of 
development would be supplied by the Nevada Power Company Northwest 
Substation. Electricity for Phase II of development would be supplied 
by the Nevada Power Company Snow Mountain Substation. Relocation of an 
existing power line easement would occur as a separate action. The 
storm water conveyance system would be constructed along the entire 
length of the proposed project area's western and southern boundaries, 
which is located up gradient from the entire project area. Within the 
project area, onsite storm drainage would be constructed in 
coordination with roadway infrastructure development.
    Alternatives to the proposed action, including the no action 
alternative, will be analyzed in the EIS. Possible action alternatives 
could include plans with differing building densities and layouts, a no 
casino alternative, and an alternative that maximizes environmental 
protection using the following principles: Mixed land uses; compact 
building designs; a range of housing opportunities and choices; 
walkable neighborhoods with a variety of transportation options; 
distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place; and 
preservation of open space, natural beauty and critical environmental 
areas.
    Resource concerns to be addressed in this EIS would include, but 
not be limited to, air quality, geology and soils, surface and 
groundwater resources, biological resources including threatened and 
endangered species, noxious weeds, migratory birds, cultural resources, 
socioeconomic conditions, land use, aesthetics or visual resources, 
environmental justice and Indian trust resources. The range of issues 
and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS may be expanded or reduced, 
based on written 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 the mailing addresses shown in the 
ADDRESSES section during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may 
request confidentiality. If you wish BIA 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. BIA 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.

[[Page 21036]]

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with Sec.  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 3, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-6105 Filed 4-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P