Notice2024-04937
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Koi Nation's Proposed Shiloh Resort and Casino Project, Sonoma County, California
Primary source
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Published
March 8, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentIndian Affairs Bureau
Abstract
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.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16782-16783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[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 <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f093989194de92829f858383918294b0929991de979f86"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="096a61686d276b7b667c7a7a687b6d496b6068276e667f">[email protected]</span></a>, 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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4c2f242d28622e3e23393f3f2d3e280c2e252d622b233a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="83e0ebe2e7ade1f1ecf6f0f0e2f1e7c3e1eae2ade4ecf5">[email protected]</span></a>.
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 <a href="https://shilohresortenvironmental.com">https://shilohresortenvironmental.com</a> 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
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