81 FR 86001 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Redding Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Shasta County, California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 229 (November 29, 2016)

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) in connection with the Redding Rancheria's (Tribe) application requesting that the United States acquire approximately 232 acres of land in trust in Shasta County, California, for the construction and operation of a casino resort.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86001-86002]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28757]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[178A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Redding Rancheria Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project, Shasta 
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) in connection 
with the Redding Rancheria's (Tribe) application requesting that the 
United States acquire approximately 232 acres of land in trust in 
Shasta County, California, for the construction and operation of a 
casino resort.

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 December 29, 2016. The date of the public 
scoping meeting will be announced at least 15 days in advance through a 
notice to be published in the local newspapers (Redding Record 
Searchlight and Sacramento Bee) and online at www.reddingeis.com.

[[Page 86002]]


ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand-deliver written comments to Ms. 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, Redding Rancheria Project'' 
on the first page of your written comments. You may also submit 
comments through email to John Rydzik, Chief, Division of 
Environmental, Cultural Resource Management and Safety, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, at [email protected]. If emailing comments, please 
use ``NOI Comments, Redding Rancheria Project'' as the subject of your 
email.
    The location of the public scoping meeting will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through a notice to be published in the local 
newspaper (Redding Record Searchlight and Sacramento Bee) and online at 
www.reddingeis.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Rydzik, Chief, Division of 
Environmental, Cultural Resource Management and Safety, Bureau of 
Indian Affairs, Pacific Regional Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2820, 
Sacramento, California 95825; telephone: (916) 978-6051; email: 
[email protected]. Information is also available online at 
www.reddingeis.com.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe submitted an application to the 
Department of the Interior (Department) requesting the placement of 
approximately 232 acres of fee land in trust by the United States upon 
which the Tribe would construct a casino resort. The facility would 
include an approximately 140,000 square foot casino, an approximately 
250-room hotel, an event/convention center, a retail center, and 
associated parking and infrastructure. The new facility would replace 
the Tribe's existing casino, and the exisiting casino buildings would 
be converted to a different use. Accordingly, the proposed action for 
the Department is the acquisition requested by the Tribe. The proposed 
fee-to-trust property is located in an unincorporated part of Shasta 
County, California, approximately 1.6 miles northeast of the existing 
Redding Rancheria, and about two miles southeast of downtown Redding. 
The proposed trust property includes seven parcels, bound by Bechelli 
Lane on the north, private properties to the south, the Sacremento 
River on the west, and Interstate 5 on the east. The Shasta County 
Assessor's parcel numbers (APNs) for the property are 055-010-011, 055-
010-012, 055-010-014, 055-010-015, 055-050-001, 055-020-004 and 055-
020-005. The purpose of the proposed action is to improve the economic 
status of the Tribal government so it can better provide housing, 
health care, education, cultural programs, and other services to its 
members.
    The proposed action encompasses the various Federal approvals which 
may be required to implement the Tribe's proposed economic development 
project, including approval of the Tribe's fee-to-trust application. 
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 are a reduced-intensity 
casino alternative, an alternate-use (non-casino) alternative, and one 
or more off-site alternatives. The range of issues and alternatives may 
be expanded based on comments received during the scoping process.
    Areas of environmental concern identified for analysis in the EIS 
include land resources; water resources; air quality; noise; biological 
resources; cultural/historical/archaeological resources; resource use 
patterns; traffic and transportation; public health and safety; 
hazardous materials and hazardous wastes; public services and 
utilities; socioeconomics; environmental justice; visual resources/
aesthetics; and cumulative, indirect, and growth-inducing effects. The 
range of issues and alternatives to be addressed in the EIS may be 
expanded or reduced based on comments received in response to this 
notice and at the public scoping meeting. Additional information, 
including a map of the project site, is available 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 available for public review at the 
BIA address shown in the ADDRESSES section, during regular business 
hours, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
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 in accordance with sections 
1501.7 and 1506.6 of the Council on Environmental Quality 
Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500 through 1508) implementing the 
procedural requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-4345 et seq.), and the Department 
of the Interior National Environmental Policy Act Regulations (43 
CFR part 46), and is in the exercise of authority delegated to the 
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

     Dated: November 18, 2016.
Lawrence S. Roberts,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2016-28757 Filed 11-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4337-15-P