[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 226 (Friday, November 25, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72505-72506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25727]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[223A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Coquille Indian 
Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Gaming Facility Project, City of Medford, 
Jackson County, Oregon

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 intends to file a draft environmental 
impact statement (DEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) for the Coquille Indian Tribe fee-to-trust and Gaming Facility 
Project, City of Medford, Jackson County, Oregon. This notice also 
announces that the DEIS is now available for public review and that a 
virtual public hearing will be held to receive comments on the DEIS.

DATES: Comments on the DEIS must arrive within 45 days after the EPA 
publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The date 
and time of the virtual public hearing on the DEIS will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through a notice to be published in a local 
newspaper (the Medford Mail Tribune) and online at www.coquille-eis.com.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to:
     By mail to: Mr. Bryan Mercier, Northwest Regional 
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Northwest Region, 911 Northeast 
11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232. Please include your name, return 
address, and the caption: ``DEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-
to-Trust and Gaming Facility Project,'' on the first page of your 
written comments.
     By email to: Mr. Brian Haug, Bureau of Indian Affairs, at 
[email protected], using ``DEIS Comments, Coquille Tribe 
Medford Gaming Facility Project'' as the subject of your email.
    The DEIS will be available for public review at:
     Medford Branch Library of Jackson County Library Services, 
205 South Central Avenue, Medford, Oregon 97501; and www.coquille-eis.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Brian Haug, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Northwest Region, (503) 231-6780 (Office), (503) 231-2201 
(Fax), [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the 
administrative process for BIA's evaluation of the Tribe's application 
to acquire approximately 2.4 acres of land in trust in the City of 
Medford, Jackson County, Oregon, for gaming purposes. Pursuant to 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) National Environmental Policy 
Act (NEPA) regulations (40 CFR 1506.10), the publication of the Notice 
of Availability by the EPA in the Federal Register initiates the 45-day 
public comment period. A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental 
impact statement was published in the Medford Mail Tribune on January 
16 and 18, 2015, and the Federal Register on January 15, 2015 (80 FR 
2120). The BIA held a public scoping meeting for the project on 
February 3, 2015, at the North Medford High School, Medford, Oregon.

Background

    The Tribe requested that the Department acquire 2.4 acres of land 
in trust City of Medford, Jackson County, Oregon, for gaming purposes. 
The Tribe's Proposed Project consists of the retrofit and remodel of an 
existing bowling alley on the proposed trust parcel into a 30,300-
square foot gaming facility with class II gaming machines, food and 
beverage facilities, administrative space, associated parking on 
adjacent fee land, and ancillary facilities. Access to the site would 
be provided via two existing driveways along Highway 99.
    The following alternatives are considered in the DEIS: (1) Proposed

[[Page 72506]]

Project; (2) Phoenix Site (alternative site); (3) Expansion of the 
Tribe's existing Mill Casino; (4) No Action/No Development. 
Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS 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.

Public Comment Availability

    Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be 
included as part of the administrative record and responses to comments 
on the Final EIS. 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 in accordance with section 1503.1 of the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR 1500 et seq.) and 
the Department of the Interior regulations (43 CFR part 46) 
implementing the procedural requirements of the NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.), and in accordance with the exercise of authority delegated to 
the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by part 209 of the Department 
Manual.

Bryan Newland,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2022-25727 Filed 11-23-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P