[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 218 (Friday, November 12, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65447-65448]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25161]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Cowlitz Indian Tribe's Trust Acquisition and Casino 
Project, Clark County, WA

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, with the National Indian Gaming 
Commission (NIGC) as cooperating agency, intends to gather information 
necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a 
proposed 151.87<plus-minus> acre trust acquisition and casino project 
to be located within Clark County, Washington. The purpose of the 
proposed action is to create a tribal land base which would enable the 
Cowlitz Indian Tribe (Tribe) to provide governmental services and 
perform governmental functions, provide jobs and career opportunities 
for tribal members, improve the tribal economy and tribal housing, and 
develop programs that would assist tribal members to attain economic 
self-sufficiency. This notice also announces a public scoping meeting 
to identify potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope and implementation of this 
proposal must arrive by December 13, 2004. The public scoping meeting 
will be held December 1, 2004, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., or until the last 
public comment is received.

ADDRESSES: You may mail or hand carry written comments to Stanley 
Speaks, Regional Director, Northwest Regional Office, Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, 911 NE. 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232. The public 
scoping meeting will be held at Hudson's Bay High School, Commons Area, 
1206 East Reserve Street, Vancouver, Washington. The entrance is off of 
East McLoughlin Boulevard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June Boynton, (503) 231-6749.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Tribe, which currently is landless, 
proposes that 151.87<plus-minus> acres of land be taken into trust to 
help it create a tribal land base for its people. The Tribe wishes to 
use the property for multiple tribal purposes, including economic 
development and the provision of governmental services.
    More specifically, the Tribe contemplates that the site will be 
used for the development of gaming and related entertainment 
facilities, tribal government facilities and tribal housing. The 
eventual size and scope of these facilities may be altered based on 
information obtained through the EIS process, but the Tribe's current 
proposal is for approximately 160,000 square feet of gaming floor, 
210,000 square feet of restaurant and retail facilities, 150,000 square 
feet of convention and entertainment facilities, an approximately 250 
room hotel, tribal governmental offices, a tribal cultural center and 
approximately 10 to 25 housing units. The proposed

[[Page 65448]]

development would also include parking facilities for approximately 
8,500 vehicles for patrons and employees, and an RV park with 
approximately 200 RV spaces.
    The 151.87<plus-minus> acres encompass nine contiguous tax lots in 
Clark County, Washington, near Ridgfield and La Center, Washington. The 
project site is located along NW. 319th Street between NW. 41st Avenue 
and NW. 31st Avenue, and adjacent to Interstate 5 at the NW. 319th 
Street interchange.
    The proposed action encompasses the various federal approvals which 
would be required to implement the Tribe's efforts to establish a 
tribal land base, including approval of the Tribe's fee-to-trust 
application, approval of the Tribe's gaming management contract and 
approval of the Tribe's request for a reservation proclamation.
    Areas of environmental concern identified so far for analysis in 
the EIS include land resources, water resources, air quality, living 
resources, cultural resources, socioeconomic conditions, traffic and 
transportation, land use, public utilities and services, noise, 
lighting, hazardous materials, environmental justice, and visual 
resources/aesthetics. 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.

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 business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. Individual respondents may request 
confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name and/or address 
from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information 
Act, you must state this prominently at the beginning of your written 
comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by the 
law. We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. All submissions 
from organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 1503.1 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. 4371 et seq.), 
and the Department of the Interior Manual (516 DM 1-6), and is in the 
exercise of authority delegated to the Principal Deputy Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.1.

Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 04-25161 Filed 11-10-04; 8:45 am]
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