[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 206 (Friday, October 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67562-67563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23508]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[212A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900253G]
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Little River Band
Trust Acquisition and Casino Project, Township of Fruitport, Muskegon
County, Michigan
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 Township of Fruitport, County of
Muskegon, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Tribe), and Federal
Highway Administration serving as cooperating agencies, intends
[[Page 67563]]
to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with the Tribe's
application requesting the transfer into trust by the United States of
approximately 60 acres of land for gaming and other purposes in the
Township of Fruitport, County of Muskegon, Michigan.
DATES: The Record of Decision for the proposed action will be issued on
or after 30 days from the date the EPA will publish its Notice of
Availability in the Federal Register. The BIA must receive any comments
on the FEIS before that date.
ADDRESSES: You may mail comments to Ms. Tammie Poitra, Midwest Regional
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest Region, Norman Pointe II
Building, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite 500, Bloomington, MN
55347. Please include your name, return address, and the caption:
``FEIS Comments, Little River Band Trust Acquisition and Casino
Project,'' on the first page of your written comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Scott Doig, Regional Environmental
Scientist, Division of Environmental, Facilities, Safety and Cultural
Resource Management (DEFSCRM), Bureau of Indian Affairs, Midwest
Region, Norman Pointe II Building, 5600 West American Boulevard, Suite
500, Bloomington, MN 55347; phone: (612) 725-4514; email:
[email protected]. Information is also available online at
www.littlerivereis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BIA published a Notice of Availability
for the Draft EIS in the Federal Register on November 21, 2018 (83 FR
58783), and on December 12, 2018, held a public hearing for the
proposed project at Fruitport Middle School, 3113 East Pontaluna Road,
Fruitport, Michigan 49415. On March 18, 2019, the BIA reopened the
public comment period until April 17, 2019 (84 FR 9807).
Background: The Proposed Project consists of the following
components: (1) The Department of the Interior's (Department) transfer
of approximately 60 acres from fee to trust status pursuant to Section
5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (25 U.S.C. 5108); (2) issuance of a
determination by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Section 20
of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act determining whether a gaming
facility on the project site would be in the best interest of the Tribe
and its members and not detrimental to the surrounding community (25
U.S.C. 2719(b)(1)(A)); and (3) development of the trust parcel and
adjacent land owned by the Tribe, totaling approximately 86.5 acres,
with a variety of uses including a casino, hotel, conference center,
parking, and other supporting facilities.
The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (1) Proposed
Project; (2) Reduced Intensity Alternative; (3) Non-Gaming Alternative;
(4) Custer Site Alternative; and (5) No Action/No Development. The BIA
has selected Alternative 1, the Proposed Project, as the Preferred
Alternative as discussed 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.
The information and analysis contained in the FEIS, as well as its
evaluation and assessment of the Preferred Alternative, will assist the
Department in its review of the issues presented in the Tribe's
application. Selection of the Preferred Alternative does not indicate
the Department's final decision because the Department must complete
its review process. The Department's review process consists of (1)
issuing the notice of availability of the FEIS; (2) issuing a Record of
Decision no sooner than 30 days following publication of the Notice of
Availability of the FEIS by the EPA in the Federal Register; (3)
issuing a Secretarial Determination pursuant to Section 20 of the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act that determines whether the Tribe's gaming
facility would be in the best interest of the Tribe and its members and
is not detrimental to the surrounding community, 25 U.S.C.
2719(b)(1)(A); (4) requesting the Governor of Michigan's concurrence
with the Secretarial Determination; and (5) issuing a final decision on
the transfer of the proposed site from fee to trust status pursuant to
Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act, 25 U.S.C. 5108.
Locations where the FEIS is available for review: The FEIS will be
available for review at the Fruitport Public Library located at 605
Eclipse Blvd., Fruitport, Michigan 53511, and online at
www.littlerivereis.com. Contact information is listed in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice. Individual paper
copies of the DEIS will be provided only 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 address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular business
hours by appointment only, 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 ask in your comment that your personal identifying
information be withheld from public review, the BIA cannot guarantee
that this will occur.
Authority: This notice is published pursuant to Sec. 1503.1 of the
Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 Code of Federal
Regulations [CFR] parts 1500 through 1508) and Sec. 46.305 of the
Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing
the procedural requirements of the NEPA of l969, 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.
Tara Sweeney,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2020-23508 Filed 10-22-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P