[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 230 (Friday, November 29, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71639-71640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28444]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[AAK6006201 134A2100DD AOR3B3030.999900]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Soboba Band of 
Luiseno Indians' Proposed 534-Acre Trust Acquisition and Casino 
Project, Riverside County, California

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 lead agency, with the City of San Jacinto and the 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as cooperating agencies, intends 
to file a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) with the EPA for 
the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians' (Tribe) proposed fee-to-trust 
acquisition and hotel/casino project to be located in Riverside County, 
California. This notice also announces that the FEIS is now available 
for public review.

DATES: The Record of Decision on the application will be issued on or 
after 30 days from the date the EPA publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. Any comments on the FEIS must 
arrive on or before that date.

ADDRESSES: Mail or hand carry written comments to Amy Dutschke, 
Regional Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. See SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION for directions on submitting comments and the public 
availability of the FEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, (916) 978-6051, or at 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested the BIA to acquire 
into trust 34 parcels totaling 534.91+/- acres of land currently held 
in fee by the Tribe, of which the Tribe proposes to develop 
approximately 55 acres into a destination hotel/casino complex 
(Proposed Action). Approximately 300 acres (56 percent) of the project 
site is incorporated in the City of San Jacinto, California, while the 
remainder is within unincorporated Riverside County, California. The 
proposed hotel and casino complex would be generally located at the 
intersection of Soboba Road and Lake Park Drive, in Riverside County 
and abut the existing Soboba Springs Country Club.
    The Tribe proposes to relocate its existing casino, which presently 
resides on trust lands, to the project site. In addition to the fee-to-
trust action and casino relocation, the Proposed Action also includes 
the development of a 300-room hotel, casino, restaurants, retail 
establishments, a convention center, an events arena, and a spa and 
fitness center, within a 729,500+/- square-foot complex. The Proposed 
Action also includes a Tribal fire station, and a 12-pump gas station 
with a 6,000 square-foot convenience store.
    In addition to the Proposed Action described above, the FEIS 
included the following alternatives: (1) Reduced Hotel/Casino Complex, 
(2) Hotel and Convention Center with No Casino Relocation, (3) 
Commercial Enterprise with No Casino or Hotel, and (4) No Action 
Alternative. 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 
Proposed Action, including the No Action Alternative or another 
alternative analyzed in the FEIS.
    Environmental issues addressed within the FEIS included land 
resources, water resources, air quality, biological resources, 
cultural/paleontological resources, economic and socioeconomic 
conditions, transportation, land use, agriculture, public services, 
hazardous materials, noise, visual resources, and recreational 
resources. The FEIS examines the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
effects of each alternative on these resources. Mitigation measures to 
address adverse impacts are also identified in the FEIS.
    The BIA has afforded other government agencies and the public 
opportunities to participate in the preparation of this EIS. On 
December 12, 2007, the BIA sent out cooperating agency letters to 
various agencies, of which the City of San Jacinto and the EPA agreed 
to participate. The BIA published a Notice of Intent in the Federal 
Register on December 14, 2007, describing the Proposed Action, 
announcing the BIA's intent to prepare an EIS for the Proposed Action, 
and inviting comments. The public comment period was extended to 
January 25, 2008, to ensure that all parties had an opportunity to 
submit comments; however, comments received after this deadline and 
until March 11, 2008, were accepted. The BIA held a public hearing on 
January 8, 2008, at the Hemet Public Library. Prior to public 
circulation, an administrative version of the Draft EIS was circulated 
to the cooperating agencies (EPA and City of San Jacinto) for review 
and comment. Comments were taken into consideration and changes were 
made based on these comments before the public release of the document. 
The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on July 2, 2009. A public hearing was held in the City 
of Hemet on August 5, 2009. Approximately 250 comments were received 
during the comment period, including those submitted or recorded at the 
public hearing. Comments were considered in the preparation of the 
FEIS; responses to the comments are included in Appendix E of the FEIS 
and relevant information was revised in the FEIS as appropriate to 
address those comments.
    Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS is 
available for public review at the San Jacinto Public Library, 500 
Idyllwild Drive, San Jacinto, California 92583, telephone (951) 654-
8635; and the Hemet Public Library, 2nd Floor, 300 E. Latham, Hemet, 
California 92543, telephone (951) 765-2440. An electronic version of 
the FEIS can also be viewed at the following Web site: http://www.soboba-nsn.gov.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption, ````FEIS Comments, Soboba Horseshoe 
Grande Fee-to-Trust Project'' on the first page of your written 
comments and submit comments to the BIA address listed in the ADDRESSES 
section of this notice.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the FEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voicemail to John Rydzik, Chief of the 
Division of Environmental, Cultural Resources Management and Safety, at 
the address listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice, or at the 
telephone number listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONACT section 
of this notice. Note that individual paper copies of the FEIS will be 
provided only upon payment of applicable printing expenses by the 
requestor for the number of copies requested.
    Public Comment Availability: Comments, including the names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
BIA mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular 
business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Before including your address, telephone 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 may ask us in your comment to withhold your personal 
identifying information from public

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review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

    Authority:  This notice is published in accordance with the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et 
seq.) and the Department of the 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 accordance with the exercise of authority delegated to 
the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs by part 209 of the 
Departmental Manual.

    Dated: November 12, 2013.
Kevin Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2013-28444 Filed 11-27-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P