Final Environmental Impact
Final Environmental Impact
DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Coquille
Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Gaming Facility Project, City of Medford, Jackson County,
Oregon AGENCY: Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, with the Coquille Indian Tribe (Tribe), City of Medford (City), Jackson County (County), and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) serving as cooperating agencies, intends to file a Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with the Tribe's application to transfer into trust approximately 2.4 acres for gaming purposes in the City of Medford, Jackson County,
Oregon (Medford Site).
DATES: The Record of Decision for the proposed action will be
issued on or after 30 days from November 22, 2024 (the date the EPA published its Notice of
Availability in the Federal
Register). The BIA must receive any comments on the FEIS on or before December 23, 2024.
ADDRESSES: By mail or hand delivery to: Regional Director,
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Northwest Region, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232. Please include your name, return address, and "FEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project" on the first page of your written comments.
By email to: Tobiah Mogavero, NEPA Coordinator, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, at:
tobiah.mogavero@bia.gov, using "FEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project" as the subject of your email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tobiah Mogavero, NEPA Coordinator, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Northwest Region, (435) 210-0509,
tobiah.mogavero@bia.gov.
Information is also available
online at https://coquille eis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS was
published by the BIA (87 FR 72505) and EPA (87 FR 72482) in the Federal Register on
November 25, 2022. The Draft EIS was originally made available for public comment for a 45- day period. However, the BIA
extended the public comment period for an additional 45-day period that concluded on
February 23, 2023, resulting in a total comment period of 90 days. Virtual public hearings were held on December 15, 2022, and
January 31, 2023, to collect
verbal comments on the Draft EIS. Background
The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (1)
Proposed Project; (2) Phoenix Site; (3) Expansion of the Mill Casino; and (4) and No Action/No Development Alternative. The BIA has selected Alternative 1, the Proposed Project, as the
Preferred Alternative as
discussed in the FEIS.
Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include geology and soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and paleontological resources,
socioeconomic conditions
(including environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use, public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects.
The information and analysis contained in the FEIS, as well as its evaluation and assessment of the Preferred Alternative, will
assist the Department in its
review of the issues presented in the Tribe's application. Selection of the Preferred Alternative does not indicate the Department's final decision because the
Department must complete its review process. The
Department's review process consists of (1) issuing the notice of availability of the FEIS; (2)
issuing a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days following publication of a Notice of
Availability of the FEIS by the EPA in the Federal Register; and (3) transfer of the Medford Site in to trust under the Coquille Restoration Act of 1989, 25 U.S.C. 715 et. seq.
Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS is available for review at
https://coquille-eis.com. Contact information is listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be included as part of the
administrative record and
responses to comments on the Final EIS. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 pursuant to section 1503.1 of the Council of Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR part 1500 through 1508) and section 46.305 of the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural
requirements of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et seq.), and is in the
exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. This notice is also published in accordance with 40 CFR 93.155, which
provides reporting requirements for conformity determinations.
Bryan Newland, Assistant
Secretary – Indian Affairs.
DEPARTMENT OF THE
INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Coquille
Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Gaming Facility Project, City of Medford, Jackson County,
Oregon AGENCY: Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, with the Coquille Indian Tribe (Tribe), City of Medford (City), Jackson County (County), and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) serving as cooperating agencies, intends to file a Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in connection with the Tribe's application to transfer into trust approximately 2.4 acres for gaming purposes in the City of Medford, Jackson County,
Oregon (Medford Site).
DATES: The Record of Decision for the proposed action will be
issued on or after 30 days from November 22, 2024 (the date the EPA published its Notice of
Availability in the Federal
Register). The BIA must receive any comments on the FEIS on or before December 23, 2024.
ADDRESSES: By mail or hand delivery to: Regional Director,
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Northwest Region, 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97232. Please include your name, return address, and "FEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project" on the first page of your written comments.
By email to: Tobiah Mogavero, NEPA Coordinator, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, at:
tobiah.mogavero@bia.gov, using "FEIS Comments, Coquille Indian Tribe Fee-to-Trust and Casino Project" as the subject of your email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Tobiah Mogavero, NEPA Coordinator, Bureau of
Indian Affairs, Northwest Region, (435) 210-0509,
tobiah.mogavero@bia.gov.
Information is also available
online at https://coquille eis.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS was
published by the BIA (87 FR 72505) and EPA (87 FR 72482) in the Federal Register on
November 25, 2022. The Draft EIS was originally made available for public comment for a 45- day period. However, the BIA
extended the public comment period for an additional 45-day period that concluded on
February 23, 2023, resulting in a total comment period of 90 days. Virtual public hearings were held on December 15, 2022, and
January 31, 2023, to collect
verbal comments on the Draft EIS. Background
The following alternatives are considered in the FEIS: (1)
Proposed Project; (2) Phoenix Site; (3) Expansion of the Mill Casino; and (4) and No Action/No Development Alternative. The BIA has selected Alternative 1, the Proposed Project, as the
Preferred Alternative as
discussed in the FEIS.
Environmental issues addressed in the FEIS include geology and soils, water resources, air quality, biological resources, cultural and paleontological resources,
socioeconomic conditions
(including environmental justice), transportation and circulation, land use, public services, noise, hazardous materials, aesthetics, cumulative effects, and indirect and growth inducing effects.
The information and analysis contained in the FEIS, as well as its evaluation and assessment of the Preferred Alternative, will
assist the Department in its
review of the issues presented in the Tribe's application. Selection of the Preferred Alternative does not indicate the Department's final decision because the
Department must complete its review process. The
Department's review process consists of (1) issuing the notice of availability of the FEIS; (2)
issuing a Record of Decision no sooner than 30 days following publication of a Notice of
Availability of the FEIS by the EPA in the Federal Register; and (3) transfer of the Medford Site in to trust under the Coquille Restoration Act of 1989, 25 U.S.C. 715 et. seq.
Locations where the FEIS is Available for Review: The FEIS is available for review at
https://coquille-eis.com. Contact information is listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this notice.
Public Comment Availability: Comments, including names and addresses of respondents, will be included as part of the
administrative record and
responses to comments on the Final EIS. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 pursuant to section 1503.1 of the Council of Environmental Quality
Regulations (40 CFR part 1500 through 1508) and section 46.305 of the Department of the Interior Regulations (43 CFR part 46), implementing the procedural
requirements of the NEPA of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4371, et seq.), and is in the
exercise of authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by 209 DM 8. This notice is also published in accordance with 40 CFR 93.155, which
provides reporting requirements for conformity determinations.
Bryan Newland, Assistant
Secretary – Indian Affairs.
Posted Online 24 weeks ago
Published in the Rogue Valley Times
