[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16782-16783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04937]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[245A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Koi Nation's Proposed Shiloh Resort and Casino Project, Sonoma 
County, California

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, intends to gather information necessary 
for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in connection with the Koi 
Nation's (Nation) proposed Shiloh Resort and Casino Project adjacent to 
the Town of Windsor, Sonoma County, California for gaming and other 
purposes. Although a formal public scoping process has been conducted 
and an Environmental Assessment (EA) circulated for this proposed 
Federal action, this notice also invites the public to identify 
potential issues, concerns, and alternatives to be considered in the 
EIS which have not previously been raised during this NEPA process.

DATES: To ensure consideration during the development of the EIS, 
written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent as soon as 
possible and no later than 30 days after publication of this Notice of 
Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: You may mail written comments to Amy Dutschke, Regional 
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825. Please include your name, return address, 
and ``NOI Comments, Koi Nation Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project'' on the 
first page of your written comments. You may also submit comments 
through email to Chad Broussard, Environmental Protection Specialist, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, at [email protected], using ``NOI 
Comments, Koi Nation Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project'' as the subject 
of your email.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chad Broussard, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional 
Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W--2820, Sacramento, California 95825; 
telephone: (916) 978-6000; email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Koi Nation submitted a Fee-to-Trust 
application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requesting the 
placement of approximately 68.60 acres of fee land in trust by the 
United States as restored lands pursuant to 25 CFR part 292 upon which 
the Koi Nation would construct a casino resort. The Nation proposes to 
develop a casino-resort with ballroom/meeting space, event center, spa, 
and associated infrastructure. The proposed Fee-to-Trust property is 
located adjacent to the Town of Windsor, Sonoma County, California. The 
proposed trust property is assessor's parcels number 059-300-003. The 
purpose of the proposed action is to facilitate tribal self-
sufficiency, self-determination, and economic development. The proposed 
action encompasses the various federal approvals that may be required 
to implement the Koi Nation's proposed project, including approval of 
the Koi Nation's land Fee-to-Trust application and Secretarial 
Determination pursuant to section 20 (b)(1)(B) of the Indian Gaming 
Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2719 (b)(1)(B)(iii)).
    The BIA previously prepared an EA that analyzed the potential 
environmental effects of the proposed action. The EA was made available 
for public comments and was the subject of a public meeting. Upon 
consideration of the public and agency comments received, the BIA has 
decided to prepare an EIS to further analyze the environmental effects 
which may result from the proposed action.
    The EIS will identify and evaluate issues related to these 
approvals and will also evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives. 
Possible alternatives currently under consideration include: (1) a 
reduced-intensity casino alternative, (2) an alternate-use (non-gaming) 
alternative, and (3) a no-action alternative. The range of alternatives 
evaluated in the EIS may be expanded based on comments received during 
the scoping process. Areas of environmental concern preliminarily 
identified for analysis in the EIS include land resources; water 
resources; air quality; noise; biological resources; cultural and 
paleontological resources; transportation and circulation; land use; 
hazardous materials and hazards; public services and utilities; 
socioeconomics; environmental justice; visual resources; and 
cumulative, indirect, and growth-inducing effects.
    The range of issues to be addressed in the EIS may be expanded or 
reduced based on comments received in response to this notice and in 
response to the previous publication of the EA. Additional information, 
including a map of the proposed trust property, is available at https://shilohresortenvironmental.com or by contacting the person listed in 
the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
    Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and 
addresses of respondents, will be included as part of the 
administrative record. 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 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 section 1503.1 of 
the Council of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 
through 1508) and section 46.305 of the Department of the Interior 
Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the

[[Page 16783]]

procedural requirements of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4371, et seq.), and in accordance with the exercise of authority 
delegated to the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. This 
notice is also published in accordance with 40 CFR 93.155, which 
provides reporting requirements for conformity determinations.

Wizipan Garriott,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Exercising by 
Delegation the Authority of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2024-04937 Filed 3-7-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P