Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 38 / Friday, February 27, 2009 / Notices 9007 

ASSISTANCE PROVIDED UNDER SECTION 605—Continued 

Projects Obligated Objectives Cumulative 

disbursements Measures 

Pending Subsequent Report **......................... .......................................... $0 

* Program administration funds are used to pay items such as salaries, rent, and the cost of office equipment. 

** These amounts represent disbursements made that will be allocated to individual projects in the subsequent quarter(s) and reported as such 

in subsequent quarterly report(s). 

619(b) Transfer or Allocation of Funds 

U.S. agency to which funds were 

transferred or allocated Amount Description of program or project 

USAID ....................................................... $558,000 Threshold Program. 

Dated: February 18, 2009. 

James Mazzarella, 

Managing Director, Congressional Affairs, 

Acting Vice President, Congressional and 

Public Affairs, Millennium Challenge 

Corporation. 

[FR Doc. E9–4255 Filed 2–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9211–03–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Indian Gaming Commission 

Notice of Availability of a Final 

Environmental Impact Statement and a 

Final Conformity Determination for the 

Proposed Federated Indians of the 

Graton Rancheria Casino and Hotel 

Project, Sonoma County, CA 

AGENCY: National Indian Gaming 

Commission (NIGC), Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA). 

SUMMARY: In accordance with Section 

102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq., the NIGC, in cooperation with the 

Federated Indians of the Graton 

Rancheria (the ‘‘Graton Rancheria’’), has 

prepared a Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (FEIS) for a proposed casino 

and hotel project/action to be located in 

Sonoma County, California. The 

purpose of the proposed project/action 

is to help address the socio-economic 

needs of the Graton Rancheria. The FEIS 

includes an analysis of potential 

environmental impacts on those 

resources as a result of implementing 

each of the alternatives. A Response to 

Comments document is included within 

the FEIS which provides agency 

responses to substantive environmental 

comments raised during the DEIS 

comment period. The alternatives 

considered in detail within the FEIS are: 

(A) A casino/hotel project on the 

‘‘Wilfred Site’’ (the proposed project/ 

action), (B, C) a casino/hotel project on 

the ‘‘Stony Point Site,’’ (D) a reduced 

intensity casino/hotel project on the 

‘‘Stony Point’’ site, (E) an alternate use 

project on the ‘‘Stony Point’’ site, (F) a 

casino/hotel project on the ‘‘Lakeville 

Site,’’ (G) a no proposed project/action 

alternative, and (H) a reduced intensity 

casino/hotel on the ‘‘Wilfred Site.’’ This 

notice advises the public that the NIGC 

has filed the FEIS with the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA). 

In accordance with Section 176 of the 

Clean Air Act 42 U.S.C. 7506, and the 

EPA general conformity regulations 40 

CFR part 93, subpart B, a Final 

Conformity Determination (FCD) has 

been prepared for the proposed project. 

The FCD is contained within Appendix 

W of the FEIS. 

DATES: Pursuant to the Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA 

Regulations (40 CFR 1506.10), the 

publication of this NOA in the Federal 

Register initiates a 30-day waiting 

period for the Federal decision. Thus, a 

Record of Decision (ROD) on the 

proposed project/action will be issued 

no sooner than 30 days after the release 

of the FEIS. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information or to request a copy 

of the FEIS, please contact: Brad 

Mehaffy, NEPA Compliance Officer, 

National Indian Gaming Commission, 

1441 L Street, NW., Suite 9100, 

Washington DC 20005, Phone: (202) 

632–7003, Ext. 256, Fax: (202) 632– 

7066, E-mail: graton_eis@nigc.gov. 

The FEIS is available for public 

review at the Rohnert Park—Cotati 

Regional Library and Santa Rosa Central 

Library, general information, including 

directions and office hours is available 

online at: http://www.sonoma.lib.ca.us/ 

branches/ or by calling (707) 584–9121 

for the Rohnert Park—Cotati Regional 

Library or (707) 545–0831 for the Santa 

Rosa Central Library. The FEIS can also 

be viewed at http://www.gratoneis.com. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

proposed federal action is the NIGC’s 

approval of a gaming management 

contract between the Graton Rancheria 

and SC Sonoma Management LLC. The 

approval of the gaming management 

contract would result in the 

development of a resort hotel, casino, 

and supporting facilities. The facility 

will be managed by SC Sonoma 

Management LLC on behalf of the 

Graton Rancheria, pursuant to the terms 

of a gaming management contract. 

The NIGC has afforded other 

government agencies and the public 

extensive opportunity to participate in 

the preparation of this FEIS. The NIGC 

published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the 

Federal Register on February 12, 2004, 

briefly describing the proposed project/ 

action and announcing the NIGC’s 

intent to prepare an EIS. The CEQ 

Regulations for implementing NEPA 

require a process, referred to as 

‘‘scoping,’’ for determining the range of 

environmental issues to be addressed 

during the environmental review of a 

proposed project/action (40 CFR 

1501.7). The scoping process included 

an initial determination of 

environmental issues to be studied and 

documented in the EIS by soliciting 

comments from agencies, organizations 

and individuals. During the scoping 

process, the NIGC solicited comments 

from the general public (providing a 50- 

day comment period and including a 

public hearing) and offered Cooperating 

Agency status to both Federal and nonFederal agencies, including the Bureau 

of Indian Affairs (BIA), the EPA, the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), 

the California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans), the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the 

California Department of Fish and Game 

(CDFG) and the County of Sonoma. An 

EIS Scoping Report was published in 

August 2004, which summarized public 

scoping comments and identified the 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES2
9008 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 38 / Friday, February 27, 2009 / Notices 

BIA, USACE, Caltrans, and Sonoma 

County as cooperating agencies. Due to 

a change in project alternatives, the 

NIGC released a supplemental NOI 

(Federal Register September 29, 2005) 

and Scoping Report (January 2006). 

A NOA for the Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement (DEIS) was published 

in the Federal Register on March 9, 

2007. The DEIS addressed the issues 

and concerns summarized within the 

scoping reports, to the extent required 

by NEPA. Seven alternatives were 

evaluated in detail in the DEIS, 

including development on one of three 

alternatives sites (Wilfred, Stony Point, 

and Lakeville) and a no action 

alternative. The proposed project/action 

(Alternative A) includes a casino/hotel 

resort on a site west of Rohnert Park (the 

Wilfred site). The casino/hotel resort 

would include restaurants, a hotel, an 

entertainment venue, gaming space, 

banquet/meeting space, and a pool and 

spa. In addition to the casino/hotel 

facility, the proposed development 

would also include on-site parking and 

an on-site tertiary wastewater treatment 

plant. 

Alternative B consists of the 

development of a casino/hotel resort 

nearly identical to that proposed under 

Alternative A, but located on the 

northwest corner of an adjacent site, 

slightly further west of Rohnert Park 

(the Stony Point site). Alternative C also 

consists of the development of a casino/ 

hotel resort nearly identical to that 

proposed under Alternative A. 

However, the Alternative C casino/hotel 

resort would be located on the northeast 

corner of the Stony Point site. 

Alternative D consists of a smaller-scale 

version of Alternative B. Alternative E 

consists of a business park development 

located on the northwest corner of the 

Stony Point site. Alternative F consists 

of the development of a casino/hotel 

resort nearly identical to that proposed 

under Alternative A but located on a 

different site in southern Sonoma 

County near the intersection of State 

Route 37 and the Lakeville Highway 

(the Lakeville site). Alternative G is the 

no project/action alternative, under 

which the NIGC would not approve the 

management contract. 

The DEIS was available for public 

comment from March 9, 2007 to June 5, 

2007. The DEIS was available for an 88- 

day review and comment period, 43 

days longer than what is required by 

NEPA, and 28 days longer than what is 

recommended in the NIGC NEPA 

Procedures Manual. Two public 

hearings were held on the Draft EIS, 

April 4, 2007 at the Spreckles 

Performing Arts Center, Rohnert Park, 

CA and April 5, 2007 at the Wells Fargo 

Performing Arts Center, Santa Rosa, CA. 

Eight alternatives are evaluated in 

detail in the FEIS, including 

development on one of three 

alternatives sites (Wilfred, Stony Point, 

and Lakeville) and a no action 

alternative. Based on comments 

received by cooperating agencies and at 

the request of the Tribe, a full, detailed 

analysis of an eighth alternative 

(Alternative H) has been added to the 

FEIS analysis. Alternative H is a 

reduced intensity casino alternative 

with the same components as the 

reduced intensity Alternative D but 

located on the Wilfred Site. 

The Clean Air Act requires federal 

agencies to assure that their actions 

conform to applicable implementation 

plans for achieving and maintaining the 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards 

for criteria air pollutants. The NIGC 

prepared a FCD for the proposed action/ 

project described above. The FCD is 

included in Appendix W of the FEIS. 

Authority: This notice is published in 

accordance with Sections 1506.6 of the 

Council of Environmental Quality 

Regulations 40 CFR, Parts 1500 through 1508 

implementing the procedural requirements of 

the NEPA of 1969, as amended 42 U.S.C. 

4371 et seq. This notice is also published in 

accordance with 40 CFR 93.155, which 

provides reporting requirements for 

conformity determinations. 

Dated: February 13, 2009. 

Philip N. Hogen, 

Chairman. 

[FR Doc. E9–4263 Filed 2–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7565–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory 

Committee #13883; Notice of Meeting 

In accordance with the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 

463, as amended), the National Science 

Foundation announces the following 

meeting: 

Name: Astronomy and Astrophysics 

Advisory Committee (#13883). 

Date and Time: March 5, 2009, 2 p.m.–4 

p.m. EDT. 

Place: Teleconference. 

National Science Foundation, Room 1060, 

Stafford I Building, 4201 Wilson Blvd., 

Arlington, VA, 22230. 

Type of Meeting: Open. 

Contact Person: Dr. Craig B. Foltz, Acting 

Division Director, Division of Astronomical 

Sciences, Suite 1045, National Science 

Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, 

VA 22230. Telephone: 703–292–4908. 

Reason for Late Notice: Due to scheduling 

complications. At the last meeting, February 

19, it was decided that another meeting via 

teleconference was required to review the 

draft annual report before the March 15 

submission. 

Purpose of Meeting: To provide advice and 

recommendations to the National Science 

Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration (NASA) and the 

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on issues 

within the field of astronomy and 

astrophysics that are of mutual interest and 

concern to the agencies. 

Agenda: To discuss the Committee’s draft 

annual report due 15 March 2009. 

Dated: February 24, 2009. 

Susanne E. Bolton, 

Committee Management Officer. 

[FR Doc. E9–4188 Filed 2–26–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 7555–01–P 

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 

Proposal Review Panel in Earth 

Sciences; Notice of Meeting 

In accordance with the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 

463, as amended), the National Science 

Foundation announces the following 

meeting: 

Name: Earth Sciences Proposal Review 

Panel (1569). 

Date & Time: April 1–3, 2009; 8:30 a.m.– 

5 p.m. each day. 

Place: Stafford I Conference Center, 

National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 

Blvd., Room 770, Arlington, VA 22230. 

Type of Meeting: Part-Open—see Agenda, 

below. 

Contact Person: Dr. David Lambert, 

Program Director, Instrumentation & 

Facilities Program, Division of Earth 

Sciences, National Science Foundation, 4201 

Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230. 

Telephone: (703) 292–8558. 

Purpose of Meeting: To carry out review of 

IRIS management and leadership as 

stipulated in cooperative agreement EAR– 

0552316. 

Agenda 

Closed: 

April 1 from 8:30 a.m.–9:30 a.m.: 

Organization meeting, introductions, review 

of charge to review panel, discussion of COI; 

and 1 p.m.–5 p.m.: panel discussion, write 

up of summary of findings and 

recommendations. 

April 2 from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.: Write up of 

summary of findings and recommendations; 

April 3 from 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.: Complete 

panel summary and recommendations. 

Open: 

April 1 from 9:30 a.m.–12 a.m.: 

Presentation by IRIS management and Q&A 

between panel and IRIS. 

Reason for Closing: During the closed 

sessions, the panel will be reviewing 

information of a proprietary or confidential 

nature, including technical information, 

financial data such as salaries, and personal 

information that could harm individuals if 

they are disclosed. If discussions were open 

to the public, these matters that are exempt 


rwilkins on PROD1PC63 with NOTICES2