[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 76 (Friday, April 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21150-21151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8334]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Ione Band of Miwok 
Indians' Proposed 228.04-Acre Fee-To-Trust Land Transfer and Casino 
Project, Amador 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 Ione Band of Miwok Indians 
(Tribe), National Indian Gaming Commission, City of Plymouth, 
California, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), intends to 
file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA for the 
proposed 228.04 acre trust acquisition and construction of casino 
project to be located within the City of Plymouth in Amador County, 
California and that the DEIS is now available for public review. This 
notice provides a 75-day public comment period and thereby grants a 30-
day extension to the normal 45-day public comment period. This notice 
also announces a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIS.

DATES: Written comments on the DEIS must arrive by July 2, 2008. The 
public hearing will be held May 21, 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 Dale Risling, 
Deputy 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, Ione Band 
of Miwok Indians' Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments.
    The public hearing will be at the Amador County Fairgrounds, 18621 
Sherwood and School Streets, Plymouth, California.
    The DEIS is available for review at the Amador County Library, 
Jackson Main Library, 530 Sutter Street, Jackson, California 95642 and 
at the City Clerk, Plymouth City Hall, 9426 Main Street, Plymouth, 
California 95669. General information for the Amador County Library, 
Jackson Main Library, may be obtained by calling (209) 223-6400. 
General information for the City Clerk, Plymouth City Hall, may be 
obtained by calling (209) 245-6941.
    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.ioneeis.com.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take 
into Federal trust 228.04 acres of land currently held in fee by the 
Tribe, on which the Tribe proposes to construct a casino, a hotel, 
parking areas and other facilities. The proposed project is located in 
the City of Plymouth in Amador County, California. The project site is 
located immediately east of State Highway 49 and is within 2\1/2\ miles 
of State Highway 16. The project site consists of 12 parcels of land 
totaling 228.04 acres. Eight of the 12 parcels (10.28 acres) are 
located within the City of Plymouth, while the remaining four parcels, 
approximately 218 acres, are located on unincorporated land within 
Amador County.
    Phase I of the proposed action includes the development of a 
120,000 square foot casino complex, which would consist of a porte 
cochere, main gaming hall, food and beverage services, retail space and 
administration space. Approximately 65,000 square feet of this building 
space would be devoted to the main gaming hall, while the balance of 
the facility would include administration space, small retail shops, 
food/beverage facilities and a small gift and art shop. This entire 
complex would be built on land currently within the City of Plymouth. 
Primary access to the casino complex would be via State Highway 49.
    Phase II of the proposed action consists of the construction of a 
hotel (250 rooms maximum), which would include small conference style 
facilities, together with food and beverage services. The proposed 
hotel would also be fitted with a dual plumbing system for the use of 
potable and recycled water. In addition, site parking would be 
increased to supply adequate parking for hotel and conference patrons. 
The hotel is anticipated to be operational no sooner than the middle of 
year 3-4 of the project. Primary vehicle access to the hotel would be 
provided by the main casino and surface-parking driveway.
    A range of project alternatives is considered in the DEIS, 
including: (1) Preferred casino and hotel; (2) reduced casino and 
hotel; (3) reduced casino, no hotel; (4) regional shopping development; 
and (5) no action. Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include 
land resources, water resources, air quality, biological resources, 
cultural resources, socioeconomic conditions, resource use patterns, 
public services, other values including noise, hazards and hazardous 
materials and visual resources and environmental justice, cumulative 
effects, indirect effects, growth inducing effects and mitigation 
measures. Input from the public, including that from public scoping 
meetings the BIA held November 19, 2003, and February 4, 2004, at the 
Amador County Fairgrounds in Plymouth, 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 8.1.


[[Page 21151]]


    Dated: January 22, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
 [FR Doc. E8-8334 Filed 4-17-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P