[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]
[[Page 71639]]
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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
[[Page 71640]]
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