[Federal Register: December 23, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 246)]
[Notices]
[Page 76325]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23de05-94]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Fee-to-Trust Transfer From the Oneida Indian Nation of New
York to the Bureau of Indian Affairs of 17,370 Acres of Land in Oneida
and Madison Counties, NY
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 cooperation of the Oneida
Indian Nation (Nation), intends to gather the information necessary for
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the taking into
trust of 17,370 acres of land currently held in fee by the Nation. The
purpose of the proposed action is to help ensure the Nation's cultural
preservation, self-determination, self-sufficiency and economic
independence as a federally recognized Indian tribe by securing the
properties into its trust land base. This notice also announces public
scoping meetings in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York, to identify
potential issues and content for inclusion in the EIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS or implementation of
the proposal must arrive by January 23, 2006.
The public scoping meetings will be held January 10, 2006, and
January 11, 2006, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., or until the last public
comment is received.
ADDRESSES: You may mail, hand carry or telefax written comments to
Franklin Keel, Regional Director, Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee
37214, Telefax (615) 564-6701. Please include your name, return address
and the caption, ``DEIS Scoping Comments, Oneida Indian Nation of New
York Trust Acquisition Project,'' on the first page of your written
comments.
The January 10, 2006, public scoping meeting will be held in Oneida
County at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School, 5275 State Route 31,
Verona, New York 13478. The January 11, 2006, meeting will be held in
Madison County at Oneida High School, 560 Seneca Street, Oneida, New
York 13421.
Additional information concerning the trust land application will
be available for public review online at http://www.oneidanationtrust.net
and at the following locations during regular
business hours, Monday through Friday, except holidays: Oneida Nation
Annex Building, 579A Main Street, Oneida, New York 13421 (business
hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); Oneida City Hall, 109 N. Main Street,
Downstairs Basement Room, Oneida, New York 13421; and Town of Verona
Town Hall, 6600 Germany Road, Back Conference Room, Durhamville, New
York 13054.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt G. Chandler, (615) 564-6832.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will assess the environmental
consequences of BIA approval of the proposed transfer of 17,370 acres,
in several non-contiguous parcels currently held in fee by the Nation
in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York, into trust status for the
benefit of the Nation. The parcels being considered for the fee-to-
trust transfer include gaming and resort properties, including the
Turning Stone Casino resort in Verona, New York, housing for Nation
members, health care facilities, government offices, commercial
enterprises such as marinas, service stations and convenience stores,
vacant and undeveloped lands and lands used for traditional Iroquois
agriculture, for livestock and for hunting and fishing.
The EIS will analyze all pertinent environmental, social and
economic attributes of the affected environment and potential
environmental consequences of taking the lands into trust. The BIA has
so far identified infrastructure (including schools), socioeconomics
(including taxes, employment, income, population and housing) and
cumulative effects as key issues for analysis in the EIS. The range of
issues may be further expanded, based on comments received in response
to this notice and at the public scoping meetings.
Public Comment Availability
Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be
available for public review at all of the mailing addresses shown in
the ADDRESSES section (except those for the public meetings) during
regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (unless otherwise shown),
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 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. 4321 et seq.),
and the Department of 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.
Dated: December 16, 2005.
Michael D. Olsen,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. E5-7787 Filed 12-22-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P