[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 130 (Monday, July 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55968-55969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14783]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
[245A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]
Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement
and Draft Conformity Determination for the Koi Nation of Northern
California's Proposed Shiloh Resort and Casino Project, Sonoma County,
California
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 National Indian Gaming
Commission (NIGC) and United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) serving as cooperating agencies, has filed a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA in connection with the Koi Nation
of Northern California's (Koi Nation) application for acquisition in
trust by the United States of approximately 68.60 acres adjacent to the
Town of Windsor, Sonoma County, California for gaming and other
purposes. This notice also announces that the DEIS is now available for
public review and that a public hearing will be held to receive
comments on the DEIS. In accordance with section 176 of the Clean Air
Act and the EPA's general conformity regulations, a Draft Conformity
Determination (DCD) has been prepared for the Shiloh Resort and Casino
Project. The DCD is contained within appendix F-2 of the DEIS.
DATES: Comments on the DEIS or DCD must arrive no later than 45 days
after publication of Notice of Availability by the EPA in the Federal
Register. The time and date of the virtual public hearing will be
announced at least 15 days in advance through a notice to be published
in a local newspaper (The Press Democrat) and online at https://www.shilohresortenvironmental.com/.
ADDRESSES: You may send written comments by any of the following
methods:
Mail or Hand-Delivery: Amy Dutschke, Regional Director,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento,
California 95825. Please include your name, return address, and ``DEIS
Comments, Shiloh Resort and Casino Project'' on the first page of your
written comments.
Email: [email protected]. Please use ``DEIS Comments,
Shiloh Resort and Casino Project'' as the subject of your email.
The DEIS is available for public review at the following locations:
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, 2800 Cottage
Way, Sacramento, California 95825 (with advance notice and during
regular business hours).
Windsor Regional Library located at 9291 Old Redwood Hwy.
#100, Windsor, CA 95492, telephone (707) 838-1020 (during regular
business hours).
https://www.shilohresortenvironmental.com/.
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 https://www.shilohresortenvironmental.com/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public review of the DEIS is part of the
administrative process for the evaluation of the Koi Nation's
application to the BIA for the placement of approximately 68.60 acres
of fee land in trust by the United States. The proposed trust property
is Sonoma County assessor's parcels number 059-300-003 and is located
adjacent to the Town of Windsor, Sonoma County, California. The Koi
Nation proposes to construct a casino resort on the property.
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. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to
prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register and The Press
Democrat on March 8, 2024.
Background: The Koi Nation's proposed project consists of the
following components: (1) transfer of the 68.6-acre Project Site into
federal trust status for the benefit of the Koi Nation for gaming
purposes (Proposed Action); and (2) the subsequent development by the
Koi Nation of a resort facility that includes a casino, hotel,
ballroom/meeting space, event center, spa, and associated parking and
infrastructure on the Project Site (Proposed Project). The following
alternatives are considered in the DEIS: (A) Proposed Project; (B)
Reduced Intensity Alternative; (C) Non-Gaming Alternative; and (D) No
Action Alternative. Environmental issues addressed in the DEIS include
land resources; water resources; air quality and climate change; 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.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and
addresses of respondents, will be included as part of the
administrative record and will be available for review at the BIA
Pacific Regional Office by appointment by contacting Chad Broussard,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office (see contact
information listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of
this notice). 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 55969]]
procedural requirements of the NEPA, 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. 2024-14783 Filed 7-5-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4337-15-P