[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 120 (Friday, June 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35150-35151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-13999]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final 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 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
for the proposed Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the 
Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington, with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, and that the FEIS is now available to the public. 
The proposed action would update the Tribe's existing IRMP, in order to 
continue long term resource management.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on 
or after July 22, 2008. Any comments on the FEIS must arrive by July 
21, 2008.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Donna R. 
Smith, Geologist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Spokane Agency, Agency 
Square, Building 201, P.O. Box 389, Wellpinit, Washington 99040. Please 
include your name and mailing address with your comments. Persons 
wishing copies of this FEIS may contact Donna R. Smith at the above 
address, by telephone at (509) 258-4561, or by fax at (509) 258-7542. 
The FEIS is also available on line at http://www.spokanetribe.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Smith, (509) 258-4561.

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 2008 by both the BIA and Spokane Tribe
    The FEIS 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 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

[[Page 35151]]

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.
    The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public ample 
opportunity to participate in the preparation of this Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS). The BIA published a notice of intent to prepare 
an EIS for the proposed action in the Federal Register on January 9, 
2003 (68 FR 1190). The BIA held a public scoping meeting on January 23, 
2003, in Wellpinit, Washington. A Notice of Availability for the Draft 
EIS was published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2006 (71 FR 
52568). The document was available for public comment from September 6 
to November 6, 2006, and a public hearing was held on September 27, 
2006, in Wellpinit, Washington.

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 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 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. 4371 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.

    Dated: May 20, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E8-13999 Filed 6-19-08; 8:45 am]
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