Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 113 / Friday, June 12, 1998 / Notices 32239

Mecca. Section 6 is characterized by

smooth topography and ranges in

elevation from 180 feet below to 146 feet

below mean sea level. Section 6 is

adjacent to, on its west and south sides,

the Coachella Valley Enterprise Zone; a

27,000 acre area established by the

California Legislature to create jobs and

economic development.

The DEIS addresses the issues

identified during scoping. Alternatives

to the proposed project that are

considered in the DEIS include the no

action alternative. The environmental

issues addressed in the DEIS include

land and water resources, air quality,

living resources, cultural and

socioeconomic resources, land use,

traffic, noise, public safety and health,

and visual resources.

Dated: June 4, 1998.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 98–15628 Filed 6–11–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(DEIS) for the Proposed Southpoint

Power Plant Project on the Fort Mojave

Indian Reservation, Mohave County,

AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability of DEIS

and public hearing dates.

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public

that a Draft Environmental Statement

(DEIS) is available for public review and

that public hearings will be held on this

document. A lease between the Fort

Mojave Indian Tribe (FMIT) and Calpine

Corporation was executed on April 28,

1998. Approval of the pending lease by

the Bureau of Indian Affairs is a major

federal action. Calpine Corporation

proposes to construct and operate a

natural gas fired, 500 megawatt

combined cycle power plant and

associated ancillary facilities on leased

tribal trust land. The proposed lease is

for a term of 50 years, with an option

to renew for an additional 15 years. The

proposed power plant would provide

electrical power for distribution through

the Western Area Power Administration

grid to meet existing demand. By

entering into the proposed lease the

FMIT will enhance its tribal sovereignty

and self-determination.

This notice is published pursuant to

Section 1503.1 of the Council of

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 et seq.), and

the Department of the Interior Manual

(516 DM 1–6), and is in the exercise of

authority delegated to the Assistant

Secretary-Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8.

DATES: Public hearings on the DEIS will

be held on July 15, 1998 at 10:00 AM

MST and 7:00 PM MST at the FMIT

tribal headquarters, 500 Merriman

Street, Needles, California, and on July

16, 1998 at 7:00 PM MST at Mohave

High School auditorium, 2251 Highway

95, Bullhead City, Arizona. Written

comments must be received on or before

August 15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Comments and

participation at the public hearings are

solicited. Please direct written

comments to Mr. Allen J. Anspach,

Superintendent, Colorado River Agency,

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rt. 1, Box 9–

C, Parker, Arizona 85344, or to Mr.

Wayne Nordwall, Phoenix Area

Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Phoenix Area Office, P.O. Box 10,

Phoenix, AZ 85001.

Persons wishing copies of this DEIS

should immediately contact Ms. Goldie

Stroup, Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Colorado River Agency, Rt. 1, Box 9–C,

Parker, Arizona 85344, Telephone (520)

669–7121 or Ms. Amy Heuslein, Area

Environmental Protection Officer,

Phoenix Area Office, Bureau of Indian

Affairs, 400 North 5th Street, 2 Arizona

Center—14th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona

85004. Telephone (602) 379–6750.

Copies of the DEIS have been sent to all

agencies and individuals who

participated in the scoping process from

December 1994 through January 1995,

and to all others who have already

requested copies of the document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Amy L. Heuslein, 602–379–6750.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of

the Interior, in cooperation with the

FMIT, has prepared a DEIS on the

proposed construction and operation of

a natural gas fired 500 megawatt

combined cycle power plant on leased

land of approximately 320 acres on the

Fort Mojave Indian Reservation in

Mohave County, Arizona. In addition to

the power plant, there is a proposal for

an administrative building and parking

areas on a 15 acre compound, a 30 acre

evaporation pond, and a storm water

retention area of approximately 30

acres. A buffer area would be provided

around the development. The power

plant would use consumptively

approximately 4,000 acre feet of water

per year from the FMIT’s allocation of

Colorado River water. Natural gas would

be supplied to the site in buried lines on

new right-of-way across Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) land. The power

generated by the proposed plant could

potentially be wheeled and distributed

by facilities of the multi-state federal

Western Area Power Administration,

and by local distribution facilities such

those of Arizona Electric Power

Cooperative, Needles Electric Company,

Aha Macav Power Services, and others.

The purpose and need for this action

is to support tribal economic

development on the reservation and

augment current power supply sources

in the region. By entering into the

proposed lease, the FMIT would

enhance its tribal sovereignty and selfdetermination and obtain revenues from

this activity.

Under the Preferred Alternative, the

proposed natural gas combined cycle

500 megawatt power plant with

ancillary facilities would be constructed

and operated on 320 acres in the east

half Section 8, T17N R21W, Gila and

Salt River Base and Meridian, Mohave

County, Arizona, on the north side of

the Davis Dam-Topock Highway. The

power plant buildings and equipment,

and the retention basins, would be

located on the valley floor. The

evaporation pond would be located on

top of the bluffs. Natural gas would be

supplied by new lines in rights-of-way

across BLM land.

Under Alternative Two, the proposed

power plant would be constructed and

operated on 160 acres in the west half

of Section 30, T18N, R21W, Gila and

Salt River Base and Meridian, Mohave

County Arizona. This site is

approximately two and one-half miles

northwest of the Preferred Alternative

site. The power plant proposed to be

built on the Alternative Two site would

be identical in size to that proposed for

the Preferred Alternative. All plant

facilities, except paved access roads,

would be located on top of the bluffs.

Natural gas would be available to the

plant from the same sources as for the

Preferred Alternative and would require

construction of two branch lines across

BLM land to the reservation boundary.

Under Alternative Three, the

proposed power plant would be built on

160 acres in the west half of Section 16,

T17N, R21W, Gila and Salt River Base

and Meridian, Mohave County, Arizona.

This site is immediately to the south of

the Preferred Alternative site, on the

south side of the Davis Dam-Topock

Highway. The power plant proposed to

be built on the Alternative Three site

would be identical in size to that

proposed for the Preferred Alternative.
32240 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 113 / Friday, June 12, 1998 / Notices

All plant facilities would be located on

the valley floor. Natural gas would be

available to the site from the same

sources as for the Preferred Alternative

and would require construction of two

branch lines on right-of-way across BLM

land to the reservation boundary.

Agencies and individuals are urged to

provide comments on this DEIS as soon

as possible. All comments received by

August 15, 1998 will be considered in

preparation of the Final EIS.

Dated: June 4, 1998.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 98–15629 Filed 6–11–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Indian Gaming

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of approved agreements

to Tribal-State Compact.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 11 of the

Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988,

Pub. L. 100–497, 25 U.S.C. § 2710, the

Secretary of the Interior shall publish, in

the Federal Register, notice of approved

Tribal-State Compacts for the purpose of

engaging in Class III (casino) gambling

on Indian reservations. The Assistant

Secretary—Indian Affairs, Department

of the Interior, through his delegated

authority, has approved the Agreements

between the Crow Indian Tribe and the

State of Montana regarding Class III

gaming which was executed on March

11, 1998.

DATES: This action is effective June 12,

1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

George T. Skibine, Director, Indian

Gaming Management Staff, Bureau of

Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C. 20240,

(202) 219–4068.

Dated: June 4, 1998.

Kevin Gover,

Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs.

[FR Doc. 98–15717 Filed 6–11–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–02–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management, Alaska

[AK–962–1410–00–P]

Notice for Publication; AA–6694–A;

Alaska Native Claims Selection

In accordance with Departmental

regulation 43 CFR 2650.7(d), notice is

hereby given that a decision to issue

conveyance under the provisions of Sec.

14(a) of the Alaska Native Claims

Settlement Act of December 18, 1971, 43

U.S.C. 1601, 1613(a), will be issued to

Afognak Native Corporation, Successor

in Interest to Port Lions Native

Corporation, for approximately 20,552

acres. The lands involved are located on

or in the vicinity of Afognak, Whale,

and Kodiak Islands, Alaska, as follows:

Seward Meridian, Alaska

T. 26 S., R. 21 W.

T. 26 S., R. 23 W.

T. 24 S., R. 22 W.

T. 27 S., R. 23 W.

T. 27 S., R. 22 W.

T. 26 S., R. 24 W.

A notice of the decision will be

published once a week, for four (4)

consecutive weeks, in the Kodiak Daily

Mirror. Copies of the decision may be

obtained by contacting the Alaska State

Office of the Bureau of Land

Management, 222 West Seventh

Avenue, #13, Anchorage, Alaska 99513–

7599 ((907) 271–5960).

Any party claiming a property interest

which is adversely affected by the

decision, an agency of the Federal

government or regional corporation,

shall have until July 13, 1998 to file an

appeal. However, parties receiving

service by certified mail shall have 30

days from the date of receipt to file an

appeal. Appeals must be filed in the

Bureau of Land Management at the

address identified above, where the

requirements for filing an appeal may be

obtained. Parties who do not file an

appeal in accordance with the

requirements of 43 CFR Part 4, Subpart

E, shall be deemed to have waived their

rights.

Sherri D. Belenski,

Land Law Examiner, ANCSA Team, Branch

of 962 Adjudication.

[FR Doc. 98–15682 Filed 6–11–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–$$–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV–040–1231–00]

Temporary Closure of Certain Roads

and Public Lands During the Operation

of the 1998 Silver State 300 OffHighway Vehicle Race: Nevada, Ely

and Las Vegas Districts

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of closure order.

SUMMARY: The Assistant District

Manager, Nonrenewable Resources of

the Ely Field Office announces the

temporary closure of selected roads and

public lands under the administration of

the Ely Field Office and the Las Vegas

Field Office. Approximately 46 miles of

a 317 mile vehicle event route are

affected by this temporary closure. This

action is being taken to comply with

provisions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service’s Biological Opinion for this

event (File No. 1–5–98–F–081), to

prevent unnecessary environmental

degradation of desert tortoise habitat

during the official permitted running of

the 1998 Silver State 300 Race, and to

provide for the safety of racers and

members of the public.

EFFECTIVE DATE AND TIMES: Two areas are

closed on June 27, 1998 during Pacific

Standard Time hours described below.

(1) The first 41 mile long closure

segment consists of a road commonly

known as the Carp-Elgin Road and

another unnamed rural road segment

located west and north of Carp, Nevada.

This area is located between Interstate

Highway 15 and Lyman Crossing, and is

closed from 3:00 am through 1:00 pm.

This segment begins in section 2,

Township 14 South, Range 67 East, and

ends in section 16, Township 9 South,

Range 67 East. As soon as all race

vehicles have completed travel along

this segment of the designated route, the

area will be progressively opened

proceeding from a south to north

direction. The area may be opened

earlier than 1:00 pm if all race vehicles

have passed beyond the closure

boundary. (2) The second 5 mile long

temporary closure area includes a rural

road segment east of Maynard Lake

located between section 19 in Township

8 South, Range 63 East and the finish

location for the race in section 11,

Township 9 South, Range 62 East. This

area is closed from 11:00 am through

approximately 10:00 pm on June 27,

1998, This area may be opened earlier

than 10:00 pm if all race vehicles have

passed through the closure.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mike Bunker, Outdoor Recreation

Planner, Ely Field Office, Bureau of

Land Management, HC 33 Box 33500,

Ely, Nevada 89301–9408. Telephone

(702) 289–1800.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Maps of

the designated route for this race event

which is affected by this closure are

available for inspection at the Bureau of

Land Management Offices in Caliente,

Ely and Las Vegas in Nevada.

Closure Areas

The closure affects a designated route

and adjoining lands. The designated

route is marked with colorful flagging,