[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21948-21949]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08515]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[AAK6006201 145A2100DD A0R3B3030.999900]


Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Proposed Los 
Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians 23-Acre Fee-to-Trust 
Transfer and Casino-Hotel Project, City of Barstow, San Bernardino 
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 Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and 
Cupe[ncaron]o Indians, National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the City of Barstow serving 
as cooperating agencies, intends to file a FEIS with the EPA for the 
Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians Fee-to-Trust and 
Casino-Hotel Project proposed to be located within the City of Barstow, 
San Bernardino County, California, and that the FEIS is now available 
for public review.

DATES: The Record of Decision (ROD) on the proposed action 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 30 days following the date the EPA publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Amy 
Dutschke, Regional Director, Pacific Regional Office, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Rydzik, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way,

[[Page 21949]]

Sacramento, California 95825. Telephone: (916) 978-6051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and 
Cupe[ncaron]o Indians has requested that the BIA take into trust 23 
acres of land on which the Tribe proposes to construct a gaming 
facility, hotel, parking areas and other facilities. The approximately 
23-acre project site is located within the incorporated boundaries of 
the City of Barstow, San Bernardino County, California, just east of 
Interstate 15. Because this request is for land to be taken into trust 
for gaming purposes, the Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o 
Indians has submitted an application under the Indian Reorganization 
Act (25 U.S.C. 465 et seq. as implemented in 25 CFR part 151) and seeks 
a determination of gaming eligibility under the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719 et seq. as implemented in 25 CFR part 
292). The FEIS supports both actions.
    The proposed project includes the development of a casino with 
approximately 57,070 square feet of gaming floor. Associated facilities 
would include food and beverage services, retail space, banquet/meeting 
space, and administration space. Food and beverage facilities would 
include one full service restaurant, a ``Drive-in'' restaurant, a food 
court with four venues, a coffee shop, three service bars, and a 
lounge. The hotel would have approximately 100 rooms and a full service 
restaurant. Both the gaming facility and the hotel would be open 24 
hours a day, seven days a week. A total of 1,405 parking spaces would 
be provided.
    The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (A) Barstow 
casino and hotel complex project, (B) Barstow Reduced Casino Hotel 
Complex (Proposed Project described above), (C) a reduced intensity 
casino at a 19-acre site within the Los Coyotes Reservation, (D) a non-
gaming alternative, specifically the development of a campground 
facility within the Los Coyotes Reservation, and (E) a no-action 
alternative. Alternative B has been identified as the Tribe's Preferred 
Alternative, as discussed in the FEIS. The information and analysis 
contained in the EIS, as well as its evaluation and assessment of the 
Tribe's Preferred Alternative, are intended to assist the Department of 
the Interior (Department) in its review of the issues presented in the 
fee-to-trust application. The Preferred Alternative does not 
necessarily reflect the Department's final decision because the 
Department must further evaluate all of the criteria listed in 25 CFR 
part 151 and 25 CFR part 292. The Department's consideration and 
analysis of the applicable regulations may lead to a final decision 
that selects an alternative other than the Preferred Alternative, 
including no action, or a variant of the Preferred or another of the 
alternatives analyzed in the FEIS.
    Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include land resources, 
water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural resources, 
socioeconomic conditions, environmental justice, transportation, land 
use, agriculture, public services, noise, hazardous materials, visual 
resources, cumulative effects, indirect effects, growth inducing 
effects and mitigation measures.
    A public scoping meeting for the DEIS was held by the BIA on May 4, 
2006 at the Barstow Community College Gymnasium in Barstow, California. 
A Notice of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on June 28, 2011 (76 FR 38677), and announced a 45 day review 
period ending on September 14, 2011. The BIA held a public hearing on 
the Draft EIS on July 27, 2011 in Barstow, California.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption, ``FEIS Comments, Los Coyotes Band of 
Cahuilla and Cupe[ncaron]o Indians Fee-to-Trust and Casino-Hotel 
Project,'' on the first page of your written comments.
    Locations Where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS will be 
available for review at the San Bernardino County Public Library- 
Barstow Branch, 304 East Buena Vista, Barstow, CA 92311; and the San 
Diego County Public Library-Borrego Springs, 587 Palm Canyon, 
125, Borrego Springs, CA 92004. General information for the 
San Bernardino County Public Library--Barstow Branch can be obtained by 
calling (760) 256-4850; information for the San Diego County Public 
Library- Borrego Springs can be obtained by calling (760) 767-5761. The 
FEIS is also available on the following Web site: http://www.loscoyoteseis.com.
    To obtain a compact disk copy of the FEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing to John Rydzik, Chief, Division of Environmental 
Cultural Resources Management and Safety listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice or by email to 
[email protected]. Individual paper copies of the FEIS can also be 
provided upon payment of applicable printing expenses by the requestor 
for the number of copies requested.
    Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be available for public review at the 
BIA mailing address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice, 
during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 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 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 parts 1500 
through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the Department of Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural 
requirements of the NEPA 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: April 8, 2014.
Kevin K. Washburn,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2014-08515 Filed 4-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-W7-P