[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 165 (Friday, August 24, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51558-51559]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20833]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Pokagon Band Tribal Village Fee-to-Trust Acquisition and 
Casino Project in the City of South Bend, St. Joseph County, IN

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 Pokagon Band of Potawatomi 
Indians (Tribe), intends to gather the information necessary for 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the conveyance 
into trust of 164.22 acres of land currently held by the Tribe in the 
City of South Bend, Indiana. The purpose of the proposed action is to 
help create a tribal land base and to meet the Tribe's economic 
development needs in Indiana. The Tribe is federally recognized, but 
does not currently have a federally protected reservation or have land 
that is held in trust for the Tribe by the United States in the State 
of Indiana.
    This notice also announces a public scoping meeting to identify 
potential issues, alternatives, and content for inclusion in the EIS.

DATES: The public scoping meeting will be held on September 27, 2012, 
and will begin at 6 p.m. and last until the last public comment is 
received. Written comments on the scope of the EIS or implementation of 
the proposal must arrive by October 9, 2012.

ADDRESSES: The public scoping meeting will be held at the South Bend 
Century Center, 120 South Saint Joseph Street, South Bend, Indiana 
46601. The meeting will be co-hosted by the BIA and the Tribe. You may 
mail, hand deliver, or telefax written comments to Diane Rosen, 
Regional Director, Midwest Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500, Bloomington, MN 55437; Telefax 
(612) 713-4401. Please include your name, return address and the 
caption specifying ``Scoping Comments for Proposed Pokagon Band Tribal 
Village'' on the first page of your written comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Doig, Regional Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Midwest Regional Office, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500, Bloomington, MN 
55437; telephone: (612) 725-4514; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe proposes to take into trust 164.22 
acres of land located within the municipal limits of the City of South 
Bend, Indiana pursuant to Section 6 of the Pokagon Restoration Act (25 
U.S.C. 1300j-5). The proposed trust acquisition of the property is for 
the development of a Tribal Village, which will include 44 housing 
units, a multi-purpose facility, health service and other tribal 
government facilities. Proposed development for the property also 
includes a Class III gaming facility with a hotel, restaurants, meeting 
space, and a parking garage.
    The property is located approximately 5.25 miles from Interstate 
80/90 and approximately 2.5 miles southwest of downtown South Bend and 
consists of 17 contiguous parcels of land that are bounded on the 
northwest by Indiana State Road 23, on the southwest by U.S. Highway 
31/20, and on the east by Locust Street. The site of the gaming 
facility is proposed to be accessible from Indiana State Road 23 and 
the Tribal Village is proposed to be accessible from Locust Road.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to improve access to 
essential tribal government services, provide housing, economic 
development, and employment opportunities for the Pokagon Band tribal 
community residing in northern Indiana. Areas of environmental concern 
so far identified that the EIS will address include soils and geology, 
air quality, water supply, wastewater and storm water, biological 
resources, traffic and transportation, cultural and historic resources, 
socioeconomics, public health and safety, noise, and visual resources/
aesthetics. Alternatives identified for analysis include the proposed 
action, a no-action alternative, a non-gaming alternative, and an 
alternate gaming site

[[Page 51559]]

alternative. The range of issues addressed in the EIS may also be 
revised based on comments received at the public scoping meeting and in 
response to this notice. The Tribe consists of approximately 4,400 
members and is governed by a Tribal Council under a constitution. The 
United States presently holds approximately 2,883 acres of land in the 
lower peninsula of the State of Michigan in trust for the Tribe.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
available for public review at all of the mailing addresses shown in 
the ADDRESSES section (except those for the public meetings) during 
business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. 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 
request your comment to exclude personal identifying information from 
public review, BIA cannot guarantee our ability to do so under the 
guidelines of the Freedom of Information Act.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 of the 
Council of Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 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. 4321 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.

    Dated: August 9, 2012.
Donald E. Laverdure,
Acting Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2012-20833 Filed 8-23-12; 8:45 am]
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