[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 110 (Friday, June 6, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32354-32355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-12638]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Renewed Application for the Proposed Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla 
and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel 
Project, San Bernardino County, California

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 National Indian Gaming 
Commission and Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians 
(Tribe) as cooperating agencies, intends to gather information 
necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 
Tribe's renewed application for a proposed 45-acre fee-to-trust 
transfer and casino and hotel project to be located in San Bernardino 
County, California. The BIA did not approve the original application as 
submitted, hence published a Notice of Cancellation of work on the EIS 
on May 19, 2008, in the Federal Register (73 FR 28841).

[[Page 32355]]


DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by July 7, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Dale Morris, 
Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. Please include your 
name, return caption, address and ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Los Coyotes 
Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians 45-Acre Fee-to-Trust Casino/
Hotel Project, San Bernardino County, California'', on the first page 
of your written comments.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action would transfer 
approximately 45 acres of land from fee to trust status, upon which the 
Tribe would develop a casino, hotel, parking and other supporting 
facilities. The property is located within the incorporated boundaries 
of the City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, California, just east of 
Interstate-15, near State Highways 58 and 247 and Interstate-40.
    The BIA published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the 
original application on April 19, 2006, in the Federal Register (71 FR 
20126). The notice included project details, which remain unchanged in 
the renewed application. As this notice on the renewed application in 
effect resumes work on the EIS, public scoping for the issues and 
alternatives to be analyzed in the EIS has already been done. The BIA 
will not, therefore, hold any additional public scoping meetings. This 
notice, however, does provide the public another 30-day period to 
submit comments on what should be covered in the EIS.
    Areas of environmental concern identified for analysis in the EIS 
include land resources, water resources, biological resources, cultural 
resources, traffic and transportation, noise, air quality, public 
health/environmental hazards, public services and utilities, hazardous 
waste and materials, socio-economics, environmental justice and visual 
resources/aesthetics. In addition to the proposed action, alternatives 
identified for analysis include no-action, reduced-intensity 
development and two alternate sites. The range of issues and 
alternatives are open to expansion based on comments received in 
response to this notice.

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. 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 sections 
1503.1 and 1506.6 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 Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.1.

    Dated: May 23, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-12638 Filed 6-5-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P