Cayuga County residents will have to wait a little longer to comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Cayuga Indian Nation of New York's land-into-trust application.
The release, expected this month, was postponed because the documents are still being reviewed, said Nedra Darling, spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Though the statement is in final review stages with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Darling said she does not know when the draft will be released for the public to see.
“Basically, it's being postponed because we need to have final department review for public release,” she said. “We did have to withdraw the Draft Environmental Impact Statement notice of availability because there had not been a final Department of the Interior review and approval for public release. It was basically due to a technical snafu.”
Cayuga and Seneca counties believe the postponement is due to the numerous deficiencies in the report, according to a news release jointly issued by the counties.
However, the Cayuga Indian Nation does not believe the postponement has to do with insufficiencies in the original report, said Daniel French, an attorney representing the Cayuga Indian Nation.
“The process will be delayed by a week or two and it was more of an administrative problem,” French said. “It has absolutely nothing to do with any of the issues the counties raised.”
An informational meeting about the land-into-trust application scheduled for April 16 has been postponed until further notice as a result of the delayed release. At issue is the Cayuga Indian Nation's application to place approximately 130 acres of land into trust, a process that would remove the properties from tax rolls and make them exempt from local laws and regulations.
A 45-day public comment period will begin upon the release of the DEIS, and officials from the counties plan to hold a community information meeting to help citizens learn about the content of the DEIS and how to most effectively communicate their comments and concerns to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
“Basically, it's being postponed because we need to have final department review for public release,” she said. “We did have to withdraw the Draft Environmental Impact Statement notice of availability because there had not been a final Department of the Interior review and approval for public release. It was basically due to a technical snafu.”
Cayuga and Seneca counties believe the postponement is due to the numerous deficiencies in the report, according to a news release jointly issued by the counties.
However, the Cayuga Indian Nation does not believe the postponement has to do with insufficiencies in the original report, said Daniel French, an attorney representing the Cayuga Indian Nation.
“The process will be delayed by a week or two and it was more of an administrative problem,” French said. “It has absolutely nothing to do with any of the issues the counties raised.”
An informational meeting about the land-into-trust application scheduled for April 16 has been postponed until further notice as a result of the delayed release. At issue is the Cayuga Indian Nation's application to place approximately 130 acres of land into trust, a process that would remove the properties from tax rolls and make them exempt from local laws and regulations.
A 45-day public comment period will begin upon the release of the DEIS, and officials from the counties plan to hold a community information meeting to help citizens learn about the content of the DEIS and how to most effectively communicate their comments and concerns to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
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