[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 193 (Friday, October 3, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 57646]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-23448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Big Sandy Casino and Resort Project, Fresno 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) has replaced the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) 
as lead agency in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for a proposed casino and hotel project to be located near 
Friant, in Fresno County, California. The BIA, with the Big Sandy 
Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians (Tribe) as a cooperating agency, 
intends to gather information necessary for preparing the EIS. The NIGC 
initiated the public scoping process, including a public scoping 
meeting on September 15, 2005, to determine the issues, concerns and 
alternatives to be included in the EIS. The BIA is hereby continuing 
that process, but as project plans have not changed since the September 
15, 2005, meeting, will not be holding additional public scoping 
meetings.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by November 4, 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, CA 95825. Please include your name, 
return address and the caption ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Big Sandy 
Casino and Resort Project, Fresno County, California,'' on the first 
page of your written comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed project will be located east of 
Friant in Fresno County, California, on undeveloped foothill property 
comprising approximately 48 acres of allotted Indian land currently 
held in trust by the United States for the beneficial interest of an 
individual member of the Tribe. The Tribe and the individual Indian 
allotee have executed and submitted for BIA approval a lease agreement 
granting use of the property to the Tribe for the development of a 
casino, resort hotel, and supporting facilities. The BIA's proposed 
federal action is the approval of this lease agreement.
    The Big Sandy Rancheria is a federally recognized Indian Tribe with 
a land base near Auberry, California. The Tribe has approximately 450 
members and is governed by a Tribal Council consisting of five members, 
under a federally approved constitution. The Big Sandy Rancheria 
currently has a federally approved tribal-state gaming compact with the 
State of California.

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, 
telephone 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 1501.7 and 
1506.6 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.), 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 2, 2008.
Carl J. Artman,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.

    Editorial Note: This document was received in the Office of the 
Federal Register on September 30, 2008.

[FR Doc. E8-23448 Filed 10-2-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P