[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 126 (Friday, June 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38821-38822]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-15878]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Menominee Indian 
Tribe of Wisconsin's Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel 
Project in the City of Kenosha, Kenosha County, WI

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as the lead Federal agency, with the Menominee Indian 
Tribe of Wisconsin (Tribe), the National Indian Gaming Commission 
(NIGC), the City of Kenosha, and Kenosha County, as cooperating 
agencies, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
for the proposed approval of a 223-acre fee-to-trust transfer and the 
construction of a casino-hotel complex. This notice also announces the 
FEIS is now available for public review. Hard copies are available upon 
request or may be found at the addresses indicted in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section below.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the proposed action will be issued no 
sooner than 30 days after the release of the FEIS. Thus, any comments 
on the FEIS must arrive at the addresses indicated below by July 30, 
2012.

[[Page 38822]]


ADDRESSES: You may request a copy of the FEIS, by contacting Scott 
Doig, Regional Environmental Protection Specialist, Midwest Region, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500, 
Bloomington, Minnesota 55437, telephone (612) 725-4514, fax (612) 713-
4401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Doig, Regional Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Midwest Region, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 5600 
West American Boulevard, Suite 500, Bloomington, Minnesota 55437, 
telephone (612) 725-4514, fax (612) 713-4401.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has asked the BIA to take 223 
acres of land into trust on behalf of the Tribe, on which the Tribe 
proposes to develop a casino-hotel complex. The proposed project is 
located at the site of the existing Dairyland Greyhound Park, at 5522-
104th Ave., Kenosha, Wisconsin 53144. The property is approximately one 
half mile east of Interstate 94, and approximately 35 miles south of 
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The BIA serves as lead agency for compliance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act. The Tribe, the NIGC, the City of 
Kenosha, and Kenosha County, as entities having jurisdiction and 
special expertise relevant to potentially affected resources, are 
acting as cooperating agencies.
    The project design includes taking the 223-acre Dairyland Greyhound 
Park property into trust for the Tribe, and the development of a 
casino-hotel complex, while potentially retaining the current greyhound 
racetrack, structure, concourse and kennel facilities. Future 
development includes a water park, a second hotel, and a recreational 
vehicle park. Interim Class III gaming would be conducted inside the 
existing clubhouse until the new casino is built. The FEIS considers a 
range of project alternatives, including: (1) Preferred casino-hotel 
complex; (2) reduced intensity; (3) off-site expansion of existing 
Keshena facilities; (4) hotel-conference center/recreational 
development; and (5) no action. Environmental issues addressed in the 
FEIS include land and water resources, air quality, biological 
resources, cultural and paleontological resources, socioeconomic 
conditions, transportation and circulation, land use, public services, 
noise, hazardous materials, visual resources, environmental justice, 
cumulative effects, indirect effects and mitigation.
    The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public 
opportunity to participate in the preparation of this FEIS. The BIA 
published a Notice of Intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the proposed action in the Federal Register on 
June 23, 2004 (69 FR 35058), with a correction published on July 7, 
2004 (69 FR 40966). The BIA held a public scoping meeting on August 3, 
2004, in Kenosha, WI. A Notice of Availability for the DEIS was 
published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2005 (70 FR 55835). 
The document was available for public comment from September 23, 2005, 
to November 21, 2005, and a public hearing was held on October 25, 
2005, in Pleasant Prairie, WI. An extended comment period for the DEIS 
was announced in the Federal Register on February 3, 2006 (71 FR 5837). 
The document was available for public comment from February 3, 2006, to 
March 6, 2006. Applicable information including population and traffic 
densities were updated in the preliminary FEIS and completed in January 
2012.
    Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS will be 
available for review at the following branches of the Kenosha Public 
Library: Simmons, 711 59th Place, Kenosha, WI 53140; Southwest, 7979 
38th Avenue, Kenosha, WI 53142; Northside, 1500 27th Avenue, Kenosha, 
WI 53140; Uptown, 2419 63rd Street, Kenosha, WI 53143. General 
information for the Kenosha Public Library system can be obtained by 
calling (262) 564-6100. The FEIS will also be available for review at 
the Waukegan Public Library, 128 North County Street, Waukegan, IL 
60085. General information for the Waukegan Public Library can be 
obtained by calling (847) 623-2041. An electronic version of the FEIS 
can be viewed at the following Web site: http://www.kenoshaeis.com
    Public Availability of Comments: Before including your address, 
phone number, email 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 pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of 
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500 
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.), and is in the exercise of 
authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 
209 DM 8.

    Dated: May 31, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-15878 Filed 6-28-12; 8:45 am]
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