Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
Date : Start Time : Location : January 10, 2006 6.30 p.m. Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School Oneida County, New York
The purpose of this scoping meeting is to discuss the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the trust land application of Oneida Indian Nation lands in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York.
This meeting has been called by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which is part of the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). The BIA has retained Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. as the third party contractor to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The environmental review process includes opportunity for public involvement. This meeting is the first forum during which the public is invited to give oral or written comments and suggestions on the scope of work for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be conducted as part of the NEPA process.
Please review the information provided in this packet to familiarize yourself with the process before you submit your comments. Enclosed Materials: 1. Agenda and Resource Information 2. Project Fact Sheet 3. The NEPA Process: FAQs 4. Location Map of Oneida Indian Nation Lands 5. Comment Sheet
If you have questions or require more information, please see the representatives at the sign-in tables. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS 5477001
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
Date : Start Time : Location : January 11, 2006 6.30 p.m. Oneida High School Madsion County, New York
The purpose of this scoping meeting is to discuss the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the trust land application of Oneida Indian Nation lands in Oneida and Madison Counties, New York.
This meeting has been called by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), which is part of the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). The BIA has retained Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. as the third party contractor to prepare the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
The environmental review process includes opportunity for public involvement. This meeting is the first forum during which the public is invited to give oral or written comments and suggestions on the scope of work for the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that will be conducted as part of the NEPA process.
Please review the information provided in this packet to familiarize yourself with the process before you submit your comments. Enclosed Materials: 1. Agenda and Resource Information 2. Project Fact Sheet 3. The NEPA Process: FAQs 4. Location Map of Oneida Indian Nation Lands 5. Comment Sheet
If you have questions or require more information, please see the representatives at the sign-in tables. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS 5477001
AGENDA AND RESOURCES
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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AGENDA FOR THE NEPA EIS SCOPING MEETING
5.30 – 6.30 p.m. 6.30 p.m. 6.40 – 7.00 p.m. 7.00 p.m. 9.30 p.m.
Sign-in for oral comments Welcome address and introduction (BIA) Presentation on proposed action by EIS Contractor Open floor for public comments Anticipated closing (or until last public comment is received)
MORE INFORMATION REGARDING THE TRUST LAND APPLICATION CAN BE OBTAINED FROM:
Name of Person Title Address
Kurt G. Chandler Regional Environmental Scientist Environment and Cultural Resources Eastern Regional Office 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700 Nashville, TN 37214 (615) 564 6832 (615) 564 6571 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT: (During Business Hours)
Tel: Fax:
Repository 1 Address Repository 2 Address Repository 3 Address Repository 4 Address Online URL Address
Town of Verona Town Hall 6600 Germany Road, Back Conference Room, Durhamville, NY 13054 Oneida City Hall 109 N. Main Street, Downstairs Basement Room, Oneida, NY 13421 Oneida Nation Annex Building 579A Main Street, Oneida, NY 13421 U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs Eastern Regional Office, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, TN 37214
www.oneidanationtrust.net
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PROJECT FACTSHEET
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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The following text briefly explains what today’s Scoping Meeting is about and provides information about the proposed action.
the Interior. If approved, the land in question will belong to the United States of America, and will be held for the use and benefit of the Oneida Indian Nation. Qs 4. What is the purpose of placing lands into trust? Land held in trust ensures the cultural preservation, expression and identity, self determination, self-sufficiency and economic independence of the Oneida Indian Nation as a federally recognized Indian tribe. Qs 5. Why are tribes allowed to put land into trust? The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land to be held in trust for Indian tribes. Qs 6. What is the link between a trust land application and an EIS? As part of the trust transfer of land application to the federal government, documentation of environmental review to demonstrate NEPA compliance is required. The EIS is a NEPA compliance document. It can be submitted as a supporting document to demonstrate that environmental, including economic and social, issues and considerations have been analyzed to determine the significance of the impact resulting from taking or not taking the proposed action, here, a transfer of land into trust. Qs 7. What will the EIS contain? The EIS will contain a discussion of the environmental, including social and economic, attributes of the affected environment and the potential impacts of taking land into trust as well as the impacts to the Nation if lands are not taken into trust. It will also analyze reasonable alternatives. All issues identified by the BIA as being relevant during the Scoping Process will be
TRUST LAND FAQs
Qs 1. What is this meeting about? This is a meeting to introduce a proposed action for which an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The purpose of this meeting is to inform you about what is being proposed and receive your input on issues that you think should be studied in the EIS. Qs 2. What is being proposed? The Oneida Indian Nation (Nation) has proposed to transfer 17,370 acres of land, in Oneida and Madison Counties in NY, to the United States to be held in trust for the benefit of the Nation. The lands are currently owned and possessed by the Nation. Under federal regulations, the trust transfer requires approval by the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). The lands include gaming and resort properties comprising the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, housing for Nation members, health care facilities, government offices, healthcare facilities, non-gaming commercial enterprises such as marinas, service stations and convenience stores, vacant and undeveloped lands and lands for traditional Native American agriculture, other farming and livestock activities, and lands for hunting and fishing. Qs 3. What does transferring land to be held in “trust” mean? Placing lands into trust is a real estate transaction which creates federal title to the lands involved. Trust status can be granted through an application like this made to the United States Department of
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS 5477001
PROJECT FACTSHEET
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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analyzed in the EIS (see FAQ Sheet #3 for more information on Scoping). Qs 8. What issues have the BIA identified thus far to be analyzed in the EIS? As listed in the December 23, 2005 Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS, the BIA has identified a preliminary range of issues including: local infrastructure, school districts, community programs and services, fiscal and economic conditions, social conditions, employment and income, and population and housing. The intent of scoping is to identify other issues for consideration in the EIS. Qs 9. Will the EIS include alternatives to taking land into trust? Alternatives will be identified through the scoping process. You may suggest other reasonable alternatives to the proposed action (taking 17,370 acres into trust) at the scoping meeting or during the scoping review period. Alternatives identified during scoping will be considered for potential analysis in the EIS, including the no action alternative (not taking any lands into trust). Qs 10. Who is preparing the EIS? The trust land application has been made by the Nation to the BIA, and the BIA will serve as the lead agency and point of contact during this review process. The DOI will make the final decision regarding the proposed trust land application. The BIA has retained Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. as third party contractor to prepare the EIS. Qs 11. When will the EIS be complete? A Draft EIS is expected to be available for public review by July 2006.The Final EIS is anticipated to be completed by October 2006. Qs 12. Who should I contact for more information regarding this trust land action?
For further information contact: Mr. Kurt G. Chandler Regional Environmental Scientist Environmental and Cultural Resources Eastern Regional Office 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700 Nashville, TN 37214 Tel: (615) 564 6832 Fax: (615) 564 6571
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NEPA PROCESS: FAQs
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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In the text below you will find a brief explanation of how the process of implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) works and how you can participate in it.
NEPA FAQs
Qs 1. What is the National Environmental Policy Act? The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, establishes a national policy for the protection of the environment. It sets forth the environmental guiding principles for the nation and provides an interdisciplinary framework for all agencies of the Federal government to use in planning and decision making on projects that may impact the natural or human environment. This policy contains procedures to ensure that all environmental (including economic and social) resources and impacts are given appropriate consideration in decision making. Qs 2. What is the Bureau of Indian Affairs and what is their involvement with this action? The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is a division of the United States Department of the Interior (DOI). The BIA is responsible for the administration and management of land held in trust by the United States for American Indians, for Indian tribes, and for Alaska Natives. The BIA is also responsible for compliance with NEPA for Federal actions involving the American Indians, Indian Tribes and Alaskan Natives. For this project, the BIA is the federal agency regulating, enforcing and leading the NEPA review process. The DOI will be the final decision-maker on the outcome of the NEPA review process and on the final outcome of the trust land application. Qs 3. What is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)? An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a document that analyzes the potential impacts of a
proposed action and the reasonable alternatives. According to the provisions of NEPA, the most detailed procedure for analyzing potential impacts to the environment is the preparation of an EIS. An EIS will be prepared for the action. Qs 4. What is the process for a NEPA EIS review? The first step in the process is to publish a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register and local newspapers. A NOI was published in the Federal Register on December 23, 2005, Following the publication of the NOI, the scope of issues that need to be addressed in the EIS must be determined. This process is called scoping (see next FAQ for more information on scoping). Public comments on the scope of the EIS should be expressed during the scoping process. At the end of the scoping period, the scope of the EIS is established and a scoping report is prepared to document the purpose and need for the proposed action, the alternatives, significant issues identified and the level of effort needed to address them. The next step is the preparation of a Draft EIS (DEIS) document. The BIA will address topics of concern in this document. The DEIS will then be published and made available for review and comment by agencies and the public for a fixed period of time. Comments obtained during this period will then be documented and addressed in a Final EIS document (FEIS). The BIA and other cooperating and interested agencies will review the FEIS. As a final step in the NEPA process, a Record of Decision (ROD) will be published by the BIA addressing how the findings of the FEIS were incorporated in the agency’s decision-making. Qs 5. What is Scoping and what is my role in this process?
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS 5477001
NEPA PROCESS: FAQs
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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The scoping process is a public process designed to identify significant issues that should be studied and analyzed in an EIS. To facilitate public participation, a scoping meeting is held at a public venue where the proposed action is introduced to the public and their comments on the action are recorded. At the scoping meeting being held today, the BIA or the contracted EIS consultant will make a presentation about the proposed EIS for the Nation’s trust land application and then ask you to comment on the scope of the EIS. You are encouraged to express your comments on the scope of the EIS. You may sign up to give your comment at today’s meeting or send it in writing later. All written comments should reach the BIA by January 23, 2006. Qs 6. What happens to the comments I make? Your comments help the EIS review team in identifying issues important to you, the public. Your comments supplement their list of potential issues and help determine the level of analysis necessary. Comments received will be made part of the public record and incorporated into a scoping report. The scoping report will record the issues and alternatives identified during the scoping process and summarize the scoping meetings. Copies of the scoping report will be made available to the public. Qs 7. How much time do I have to submit comments after tonight? Written comments must be received no later than January 23, 2006.
545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 37214 Telefax (615) 564 6701 Qs 9. When will I have another opportunity to make a comment during the EIS process? After the completion of the DEIS it will be made available for review and comment. At that time, written comments will be accepted. Qs 10. Where can I find more information and the NEPA documents? Town of Verona Town Hall 6600 Germany Road, Back Conference Room, Durhamville, NY 13054 Oneida City Hall 109 N. Main Street, Downstairs Basement Room, Oneida NY 13421 Oneida Nation Annex Building 579A Main Street, Oneida NY 13421 U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700, Nashville, Tennessee 37214
Online: www.oneidanationtrust.net Qs 8. Who should I send comments to and where? You may mail or telefax written comments to: Mr. Franklin Keel Regional Director Eastern Regional Office, Bureau of Indian Affairs,
INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS 5477001
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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Syracuse !
AREA OF INTEREST
Albany
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Forestport Boonville
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New York City
!
Florence
Ava
Camden
Annsville Lee
Western Delta Reservoir
Steuben
Remsen
Vienna Oneida Lake
Oneida County
Rome
Trenton Floyd
Verona
Marcy
Deerfield
Lenox Sullivan Oneida Sherrill Vernon
§ ¦ ¨
I90
Whitestown Utica New Hartford Kirkland
Westmoreland
Lincoln
Fenner Cazenovia Lake Cazenovia
Smithfield
Stockbridge
Augusta
Marshall
Paris
Madison County
Nelson Eaton Madison
Sangerfield
Bridgewater
Brookfield Deruyter Georgetown Lebanon Hamilton
LEGEND
ONEIDA INDIAN NATION LANDS
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2
4 Miles
LOCATION MAP OF ONEIDA INDIAN NATION LANDS ONEIDA AND MADISON COUNTIES, NEW YORK
COMMENT SHEET
Bureau of Indian Affairs Scoping Meeting for NEPA EIS for Trust Land Application by Oneida Indian Nation of New York
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My Name: _________________________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________________________
Street name County
Apt./ Bldg. State
City/Town Zip code
_________________________________________________________________________
You may not comment anonymously. However, we will withhold your name if you check this box Comment(s):____________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
Comments must be received by January 23, 2006
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INDEPENDENT ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERS, SCIENTISTS AND CONSULTANTS
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Attn:
Mr. Franklin Keel Regional Director Eastern Regional Office Bureau of Indian Affairs 545 Marriott Drive, Suite 700 Nashville, TN 37214
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