[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 6, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52568-52569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14686]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Integrated 
Resource Management Plan for the Spokane Indian Reservation, Stevens 
County, WA

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), in cooperation with the Spokane Tribe of Indians 
(Tribe), intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
for the proposed Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the 
Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington, with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, and that the DEIS is now available for public 
review. The purpose of the proposed action is to update the Tribe's 
existing IRMP, in order to provide for the development of long-term 
resource management policies that will ensure direction and stability 
for sustained growth of reservation economics, compatible with 
traditional values and needs for a quality human environment. This 
notice also announces a public hearing to receive public comments on 
the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments must arrive by November 6, 2006. The public 
hearing will be held September 27, 2006, starting at 5:30 p.m. and 
continuing until all those who wish to make statements have been heard.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry, or fax written comments to Donna 
R. Smith, Geologist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Spokane Agency, Agency 
Square, Building 201, P.O. Box 389, Wellpinit, Washington 99040, fax 
(509) 258-7542. Please include your name and mailing address with your 
comments so documents pertaining to this project may be sent to you. 
You may also e-mail comments to [email protected].
    The public hearing will be at the Alfred McCoy Building, Ford/
Wellpinit Road, Wellpinit, Washington.
    Persons wishing copies of this DEIS should immediately contact the 
Spokane Tribe of Indians, Attention: Rudy Peone, Department of Natural 
Resources, P.O. Box 480, Wellpinit, Washington 99040; Telephone (509) 
258-9042. The DEIS is also available on line at http://www.spokanetribe.com/d_n_r_.htm. An abstract of the DEIS has been 
sent to all agencies and individuals who participated in the scoping 
process and to all others who have already requested copies of the 
document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rudy Peone, (509) 258-9042.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed BIA action is approval of the 
Tribe's updating and implementation of an IRMP. The proposed IRMP 
covers a period of 10 years and addresses resources of value on all of 
the approximately 157,000 acres within the boundaries of the Spokane 
Indian Reservation and/or under the jurisdiction of the Tribe, 
including, but not limited to, air quality, cultural resources, 
fisheries, wildlife, timber, surface and ground water resources, range, 
agriculture, recreation, mining, residential development, economic 
development land uses, and infrastructure. The updated IRMP would be 
implemented in fiscal year 2007 by both the BIA and Spokane Tribe.
    The DEIS analyzes a range of feasible alternatives to address both 
current and projected needs over the next 10 years. These alternatives 
are as follows:
    (1) No Action, which would continue the existing IRMP with no 
change in management style;
    (2) Preservation and Cultural Emphasis, which would provide the

[[Page 52569]]

greatest level of environmental and cultural protection;
    (3) Preservation of All Future Uses (preferred alternative), with 
outcome based performance which would balance ecological and cultural 
values with the need for income;
    (4) Growth and Economic Emphasis, which would allow decisions to be 
driven by economics; and
    (5) Individual Freedom Emphasis, which would allow individuals 
maximum freedom to develop land within the current regulatory 
framework.
    Other government agencies and members of the public have 
contributed to the scoping of these alternatives and the preparation of 
the DEIS. A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the proposed IRMP 
for the Spokane Indian Reservation, inviting comments on the scope and 
content of the EIS, was published in the Federal Register on January 9, 
2003 (68 FR 1190). A public scoping meeting followed on January 23, 
2003, in Wellpinit, Washington, in order to obtain further input from 
the Tribe, from Federal, State, and local Agencies, and from the 
interested public.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at the mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section, during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 5 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 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: August 23, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-14686 Filed 9-5-06; 8:45 am]
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