[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 226 (Friday, November 24, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67896-67897]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19900]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Proposed Transfer From Fee-to-Trust Land of Oneida Indian 
Nation of New York 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), with the cooperation of the Oneida Indian Nation of New 
York (Nation), intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(DEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for proposed fee-
to-trust land transfer located within Oneida and Madison Counties, New 
York, and that the DEIS is now available for public review. The purpose 
of the proposed action is to foster the cultural preservation, self-
determination, self-sufficiency and economic independence of the Nation 
through placing tribal properties into a

[[Page 67897]]

fee trust land base. This notice also announces a public hearing to 
take public comments on the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by January 8, 2007. The 
public hearing will be held Thursday, December 14, 2006, from 3 p.m. to 
10 p.m., or until the last public comment is received. Doors for the 
hearing will open at 2 p.m.

ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry or fax written comments to Mr. 
Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 
37214, Fax (615) 564-6701. Please include your name, return address and 
the caption, ``DEIS Comments, Oneida Indian Nation of New York Trust 
Acquisition Project,'' on the first page of your written comments. 
Electronic submission is not available. The public hearing will be at 
the Stanley Theater, 259 Genesee Street, Utica, New York.
    Copies of the DEIS will be available for viewing at Web site 
www.oneidanationtrust.net and at the following locations: (1) Oneida 
Nation Annex Building, 579A Main Street, Oneida, New York 13421 (10 
a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday except holidays); (2) Oneida City 
Hall, 109 N. Main Street, Downstairs Basement Room, Oneida, New York 
13421; and (3) 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 Nation submitted an application to the 
U.S. Department of the Interior through the BIA, requesting that the 
Secretary of the Interior take up to 17,370 acres of fee land in 
Madison and Oneida Counties, New York, into trust status for the 
benefit of the Nation. The subject properties are currently owned by 
the Nation in fee status.
    The currently proposed alternatives are: (A) Proposed Action, which 
is the action proposed by the Nation to take all 17,370 acres into 
trust; (B) Phased Acquisition of 35,000 Acres; (C) Group 1 and 2 Lands, 
which include resort, commercial and residential properties (9,903); 
(D) Group 1 Lands Only, which include resort type properties (3,428 
acres); (E) Turning Stone Casino Gaming Floor Only (225 acres); (F) 
Alternative Trust Land Grouping, which focuses on compact and 
contiguous properties (11,986 acres); and (G) No Action (0 acres). The 
alternatives are intended to assist the review of the issues presented, 
but may not represent the final decision, since a parcel-by-parcel 
review and determination will be necessary for compliance with factors 
listed in 25 CFR Part 151. Among other issues, comments on the DEIS 
should address whether particular properties or groups of properties 
should be taken out of, or added to, an existing alternative.

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 regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday 
through Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish 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.), 
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: November 17, 2006.
Michael D. Olsen,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E6-19900 Filed 11-22-06; 8:45 am]
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