[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]


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

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.

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

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