[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 151 (Friday, August 6, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47616-47618]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19195]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation 
of Oregon Proposed Trust Acquisition and Resort and Casino Project, 
Cascade Locks, Hood River County, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

[[Page 47617]]


ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) announces the availability 
of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 25-
acre trust acquisition for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs 
Reservation of Oregon (Tribe) within the City of Cascade Locks, Hood 
River County, Oregon. The acquired trust land would be used for the 
development of a casino and related hotel, dining, and entertainment 
facilities. The purpose of the proposed action is to improve the 
Tribe's long-term economic conditions and support its self-sufficiency, 
both with respect to its government operations and its members. The 
Final EIS considers casino alternatives in Hood River County and on the 
Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The Final EIS identifies the Cascade 
Locks Resort and Casino Project as the BIA's preferred alternative.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued on 
or after September 20, 2010. Any comments on the Final EIS must arrive 
by September 7, 2010.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS will be available at http://www.gorgecasinoEIS.com and at the locations listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this Notice. You may mail or hand-carry written 
comments to Mr. Scott Aikin, Division of Natural Resources Chief, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 911 Northeast 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 
97232. You may also fax your comments to (503) 231-6791. See the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for directions on 
submitting comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Scott Aikin, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, (503) 231-6883.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that the BIA take 25 
acres of land in the City of Cascade Locks into trust on behalf of the 
Tribe. The Tribe would develop a resort and casino on the newly 
acquired trust land and lease adjacent lands (approximately 35 acres) 
from the Port of Cascade Locks for parking and other facilities related 
to the resort and casino development. The resort and casino project 
also would include a new interchange on Interstate 84 (I-84) and local 
transportation system improvements in coordination with the Federal 
Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Oregon Department of 
Transportation (ODOT). The FHWA and ODOT are cooperating agencies in 
the development of the EIS. Other cooperating agencies include the City 
of Cascade Locks, the Port of Cascade Locks, and Hood River County, all 
in the State of Oregon.
    Project alternatives considered in the Final EIS include: (1) 
Cascade Locks Resort and Casino Project; (2) Hood River Alternative; 
(3) Warm Springs Alternative; and (4) no action. The Cascade Locks 
Resort and Casino Project is the BIA's Preferred Alternative based on 
the findings of the EIS, however, the BIA must conduct a complete 
evaluation of the criteria listed in 25 CFR part 151 prior to making a 
final decision. The BIA may, in its Record of Decision, select an 
alternative other than the Preferred Alternative, including no action 
or another alternative analyzed in the Final EIS. Environmental issues 
addressed in the Final EIS include geology and soils, land use, water 
resources, air quality, noise, plants and wildlife, endangered species, 
cultural resources, socioeconomic conditions (including environmental 
justice), transportation, public services, the visual environment, and 
hazardous wastes and materials. The Final EIS examines the direct, 
indirect, and cumulative effects of each alternative on these 
resources. Mitigation measures to address adverse impacts are 
identified in the Final EIS.
    The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public 
extensive opportunity to participate in the preparation of this EIS. 
The BIA published a notice of intent to prepare the EIS for the 
proposed action in the Federal Register on August 30, 2005 (70 FR 
51363). A Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on February 15, 2008 (73 FR 8897). The Draft EIS was 
available for public comment from February 15, 2008, to May 15, 2008. 
The total public comment period was 90 days. The BIA held five public 
hearings on the Draft EIS, one on March 3, 2008, in Warm Springs, 
Oregon; one on March 10, 2008, in Cascade Locks, Oregon; one on March 
12, 2008, in Stevenson, Washington; one on March 13, 2008, in Portland, 
Oregon; and one on March 17, 2008, in Hood River, Oregon.
    Availability of the Final EIS: Copies of the Final EIS have been 
distributed to Federal, State, regional, and local agencies, Native 
American Tribes and organizations, elected officials, and agencies, 
organizations, and individuals who may be interested or affected. To 
obtain a copy of the Final EIS, see ADDRESSES above. Copies of the 
Final EIS are also available for review at the following locations:
     Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Regional Office, 911 
NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232;
     Port of Cascade Locks, 710 Lucy Lane, Cascade Locks, 
Oregon 97014;
     Federal Highway Administration, 530 Center Street, Room 
100, Salem, Oregon 97301;
     Cascade Locks Library, 140 SE Wa-Na-Pa Street, Cascade 
Locks, Oregon 97031;
     Multnomah County Library, Central Branch, 801 SW. 10th 
Street, Portland, Oregon 97205;
     Gresham Library 385 NW. Miller Avenue, Gresham, Oregon 
97030;
     Vancouver Community Library, 1007 E. Mill Plain Boulevard, 
Vancouver, Washington 98663;
     Hood River County, 601 State Street, Hood River, Oregon 
97031;
     Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 1, 123 NW. 
Flanders, Portland, Oregon 97209;
     Hood River County Library, 502 State Street, Hood River, 
Oregon 97014;
     Mosier City Library, 3rd Street, Mosier, OR 97040;
     Stevenson Community Library, 120 NW. Vancouver Avenue, 
Stevenson, Washington 98648;
     Fairview-Columbia Library, 1520 NE. Village Street, 
Fairview, Oregon 97024;
     White Salmon Valley Community Library, 5 Town and 
Country Square, White Salmon, Washington 98672.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption, ``Final EIS Comments, Confederated 
Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon Trust Acquisition and 
Resort/Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written comments.
    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 sections 
1503.1 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.

[[Page 47618]]

4371 et seq.), Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 4), and is 
in the exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--
Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.l.

    Dated: July 20, 2010.
Donald Laverdure,
Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2010-19195 Filed 8-5-10; 8:45 am]
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