[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 32 (Friday, February 15, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8898-8899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-2828]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the North Fork 
Rancheria's Proposed 305 Acre Trust Acquisition and Hotel/Casino 
Project, Madera 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 North Fork Rancheria of Mono 
Indians (Tribe), California Department of Transportation, Madera 
Irrigation District, City of Madera, National Indian Gaming Commission 
and U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as cooperating 
agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
with the EPA for the proposed 305 acre trust acquisition and the 
construction of a hotel/casino project to be located in unincorporated 
Madera County, just north of the City of Madera, California, and that 
the DEIS is now available for public review. Public review of the DEIS 
is part of an administrative process designed to evaluate tribal 
applications that seek to have the United States to take land into 
Federal trust pursuant to 25 CFR part 151. Reviewers are advised that 
we will consider public comments carefully

[[Page 8899]]

prior to deciding whether to approve or disapprove this application. 
This notice also announces a public hearing to receive comments on the 
DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by March 31, 2008. The public hearing will be held 
March 12, 2008, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., or until the last public comment 
is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Amy Dutschke, 
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. Please include 
your name, return address, and the caption, ``DEIS Comments, North Fork 
Rancheria's Hotel/Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments.
    The public hearing will be at the Hatfield Hall, Madera District 
Fairgrounds, 1850 West Cleveland Avenue, Madera, California.
    The DEIS is available for review at the Madera County Public 
Library, 121 N. G. Street, Madera, California 93637, and at the Madera 
County Public Library, Chowchilla Branch, 300 Kings Ave., Chowchilla, 
California 93610. General information for the Madera County Public 
Library may be obtained by calling (559) 675-7871, and for the Madera 
County Public Library, Chowchilla Branch, by calling (559) 665-2630.
    If you would like to obtain a copy of the DEIS, please write or 
call John Rydzik, Chief of the Division of Environmental, Cultural 
Resource Management and Safety, at the BIA address above or the 
telephone number provided below. An electronic version of the DEIS may 
be viewed at http://www.NorthForkEIS.com.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take 
into Federal trust 305 acres of land currently held in fee by the 
Tribe, on which the Tribe proposes to construct a hotel, casino, 
parking areas and other facilities. The proposed project is located in 
unincorporated Madera County, California, just north of the City of 
Madera and adjacent to State Route 99 (SR-99). The project site is 
bounded on the north by Avenue 18, rural residential land, light 
industrial land, and vacant land; on the east by Golden State Boulevard 
and SR-99; on the south by agricultural land and residential land; and 
on the west by Road 23 and agricultural land.
    The proposed action includes the development of an approximately 
472,000 square foot hotel and casino resort and associated facilities, 
which would include a main gaming hall, food and beverage services, 
retail space, banquet/meeting space, and administration space. Food and 
beverage facilities would include three full service restaurants, a 
five-tenant food court, a buffet, four bars and a lounge. The hotel 
would include 200 rooms, a resort style pool area and a spa. 
Approximately 4,500 parking spaces would be provided. Regional access 
to the project site is via SR-99. Road 23, Avenue 18, and Golden State 
Boulevard would provide direct access to the hotel/casino resort.
    A range of project alternatives is considered in the DEIS, 
including: (1) Preferred hotel/casino; (2) reduced casino; (3) 
commercial development; (4) North Fork Rancheria alternate site; and 
(5) no action. Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include land 
resources, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural 
resources, socioeconomic conditions, environmental justice, 
transportation, land use, agriculture, public services, noise, 
hazardous materials, visual resources, cumulative effects, indirect 
effects, growth inducing effects and mitigation measures. Input from 
the public, including that from a public scoping meeting the BIA held 
on November 15, 2004, in Madera, California, was included in the 
development of these alternatives and issues.

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. Before including your address, phone number, 
e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your 
comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we 
will be able to do so.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the 
Council of 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. 4371 et seq.), 
Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the exercise 
of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
209 DM 8.l.

    Dated: January 28, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-2828 Filed 2-14-08; 8:45 am]
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