[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 3, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23040-23041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-07048]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[245A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Redding Rancheria 
Win-River Casino Relocation Project

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 Redding Rancheria (Tribe), City 
of Redding (City), Shasta County (County), the California Department of 
Transportation, District 2 and the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, Region 9 serving as cooperating agencies, intends to file a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) with the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with the Tribe's application to 
transfer into trust approximately 232 acres for gaming purposes in 
Shasta County, California (Strawberry Fields Site).

DATES: The Record of Decision for the proposed action will be issued on 
or after 30 days from the date the EPA publishes its Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. The BIA must receive any comments 
on the FEIS before that date.

ADDRESSES: By mail or hand delivery to: Amy Dutschke, Regional 
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, 
Sacramento, California 95825. Please include your name, return address, 
and ``FEIS Comments, Redding Rancheria 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]. If emailing comments, please use 
``FEIS Comments, Redding Rancheria 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) 978-6165; email: [email protected]. Information 
is also available online at http://www.reddingeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the 
Draft EIS was published by the BIA (84 FR 14391) on April 10, 2019, and 
EPA (84 FR 16485) in the Federal Register on April 19, 2019. The Draft 
EIS was originally made available for public comment for a 45-day 
period. However, the BIA extended the public comment period for an 
additional two weeks that concluded on June 17, 2019. A public hearing 
was held on May 20, 2019, to collect verbal comments on the Draft EIS. 
On May 14, 2020, the BIA published a notice to suspend preparation of 
the EIS (85 FR 28973). On September 23, 2021, the BIA published a 
notice of resumption of the EIS (85 FR 52922).

Background

    The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (1) Proposed 
Project; (2) Proposed Project with No Retail Alternative; (3) Reduced 
Intensity Alternative; (4) Non-Gaming Alternative; (5) Anderson Site 
Alternative; (6) Expansion of Existing Casino Alternative and (7) and 
No Action/No Development Alternative. 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,

[[Page 23041]]

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 a Notice of 
Availability of the FEIS by the EPA in the Federal Register; and (3) 
transfer of the Strawberry Fields Site in to trust.
    Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS is 
available for review at https://reddingeis.com. Contact information is 
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 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 pursuant to section 1503.1 of the Council 
of Environmental Quality Regulations (40 CFR part 1500 through 1508) 
and section 46.305 of the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 
CFR part 46), implementing the procedural requirements of the NEPA of 
1969, 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. 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. 2024-07048 Filed 4-2-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P