The Habematolel Pomo Of Upper Lake
The Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake (HPUL) is a federally recognized tribe proposing to re-establish a land base near its former Rancheria in Upper Lake, Lake County, CA.
The Proposed Action addressed in the Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the National Indian Gaming Commission (NICG) consists of the transfer of 55 acres (the site) into trust and the subsequent development of a gaming facility. The BIA is the federal agency charged with reviewing and approving the application pursuant to Section 151 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The NIGC is the federal agency that reviews and approves all management contracts between Indian tribes and outside management companies pursuant to its regulatory authority under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). For this project the BIA is the lead agency and the NICG is the cooperating agency under NEPA (42 USC 4321 et seq.).
The project is proposed to be built in phases with the casino and restaurant facility built first. The EA addresses the entire project including a 60-room hotel, RV park and related parking facilities. The EA provides a detailed description of the Proposed Action, and alternatives, and an analysis of potential environmental consequences.
The HPUL has entered into an MOU with Lake County in a Government-to-Government agreement to address many of the impacts of their proposed project. That MOU is provided as an appendix to the EA.