[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 240 (Wednesday, December 14, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 90379-90380]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29991]



[[Page 90379]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[178A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]


Final Environmental Impact Statement and a Revised Draft 
Conformity Determination for the Proposed Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust 
and Casino Project, Sacramento County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Wilton Rancheria (Tribe), City 
of Galt, City of Elk Grove, Sacramento County (County), and the United 
States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) serving as cooperating 
agencies, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) 
for the Wilton Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Sacramento 
County, California, pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended. This notice announces that the FEIS is now 
available for public review. In accordance with Section 176 of the 
Clean Air Act and EPA's general conformity regulations, a Revised Draft 
Conformity Determination (DCD) also has been prepared for the proposed 
project.

DATES: The BIA will issue a Record of Decision (ROD) on the proposed 
action no sooner than 30 days after the date EPA publishes its Notice 
of Availability in the Federal Register. The BIA must receive any 
comments on the FEIS on or before that date.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS is available for public review at the Galt Branch 
of the Sacramento Public Library, located at 1000 Caroline Ave., Galt, 
California 95632, and the Elk Grove Branch of the Sacramento Public 
Library, located at 8900 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove, California 95624, 
and online at http://www.wiltoneis.com. You may mail or hand-deliver 
written comments to Ms. Amy Dutschke, Pacific Regional Director, Bureau 
of Indian Affairs, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, California 95825. You 
may also submit comments through email to Mr. John Rydzik, Chief, 
Division of Environmental, Cultural Resource Management and Safety, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, at [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Rydzik, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, 
California 95825, (916) 978-6051.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe has requested that BIA take into 
trust approximately 36 acres of land (known as the Elk Grove Mall site) 
currently in fee, on which the Tribe proposes to construct a casino, 
hotel, parking area, and other ancillary facilities (Proposed Project). 
The proposed fee-to-trust property is located within the incorporated 
boundaries of the City of Elk Grove in Sacramento County, California.
    The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) identified 
Alternative A, located on the 282-acre Twin Cities site, as the 
Proposed Action that would allow for the development of the Tribe's 
proposed casino/hotel project; however, after evaluating all 
alternatives in the Draft EIS, BIA has now selected Alternative F, 
located on the Elk Grove Mall Site, as its Preferred Alternative to 
allow for the Tribe's Proposed Project. Since the DEIS was published, 
the Elk Grove Mall site increased by approximately eight acres, from 
approximately 28 to 36 acres. The additional eight acres consists of 
developed and disturbed land similar to the original 28 acres and was 
added due to parcel configuration and redesigned interior circulation. 
In addition, Alternative F project components have been revised in the 
FEIS from their discussion in the DEIS. The total square footage of the 
proposed facility has decreased approximately 2,299 square feet, from 
611,055 square feet to 608,756 square feet. Some components have also 
changed, such as restaurant types, and a three-story parking garage has 
been added. However, gaming floor square footage has remained the same. 
These changes do not impact the conclusions of the EIS. The Final EIS 
was updated accordingly.
    The Proposed Action consists of transferring the approximately 36 
acres of property and the subsequent development of the Proposed 
Project. The Proposed Project would contain approximately 110,260 
square-feet (sf) of gaming floor area, a 12-story hotel with 
approximately 302 guest rooms, a 360-seat buffet, 60-seat pool grill, 
other food and beverage providers, retail area, a fitness center, spa, 
and an approximately 48,000 sf convention center. Access to the Mall 
site would be provided via an existing driveway and a new driveway 
located along Promenade Parkway.
    The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: Alternative 
A--Proposed Twin Cities Casino Resort; Alternative B--Reduced Twin 
Cities Casino; Alternative C--Retail on the Twin Cities Site; 
Alternative D--Casino Resort at Historic Rancheria Site; Alternative 
E--Reduced Intensity Casino at Historic Rancheria Site; Alternative F--
Casino Resort at Mall Site; and Alternative G--No Action.
    Alternative F has been identified as the Preferred Alternative, as 
discussed in the FEIS. The information and analysis contained in the 
FEIS, as well as its evaluation and assessment of the 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 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 geology and 
soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and 
paleontological resources, socioeconomic conditions (including 
environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use, 
public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative 
effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects.
    Section 176 of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. 7506, requires Federal 
agencies to ensure that their actions conform to applicable 
implementation plans for achieving and maintaining the National Ambient 
Air Quality Standards for criteria air pollutants. The BIA has prepared 
a Revised DCD for the proposed action/project described above. The 
Revised DCD is included as Revised Appendix T of the FEIS.
    A public scoping meeting for the DEIS was held by BIA on December 
19, 2013 at the Chabolla Community Center in Galt, California. A Notice 
of Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register 
on January 15, 2016 (81 FR 2214), and announced a review period that 
ended on February 29, 2016. The BIA held a public hearing on the Draft 
EIS on January 29, 2016 in Galt, California.
    Directions for Submitting Comments: Please include your name, 
return address, and the caption: ``FEIS Comments, Wilton Rancheria Fee-
to-Trust and Casino Project,'' on the first page of your written 
comments. If emailing comments, please use ``FEIS Comments, Wilton 
Rancheria Fee-to-

[[Page 90380]]

Trust and Casino Project'' as the subject of your email.
    Locations Where the FEIS Is Available for Review: The FEIS is 
available for review during regular business hours at the BIA Pacific 
Regional Office and the Galt and Elk Grove Branches of the Sacramento 
Public Library at the addresses noted above in the ADDRESSES section of 
this notice. The FEIS is also available online at http://www.wiltoneis.com.
    To obtain a compact disc copy of the FEIS, please provide your name 
and address in writing or by voicemail to Mr. John Rydzik, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, at the address or phone number above in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper copies of 
the DEIS will 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 during 
regular business hours at the BIA mailing address shown in the 
ADDRESSES section of this notice. 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 Sections 1503.1 and 
1506.6(b) of the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR 
parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the procedural requirements of 
the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Department of the Interior NEPA 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), and is in the exercise of authority 
delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. This 
notice is also published in accordance with Federal general conformity 
regulations (40 CFR part 93, subpart B).

    Dated: December 8, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-29991 Filed 12-13-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4337-15-P