The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, intends to prepare an Environmental Assessment (EA) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the proposed Osage Nation Lake Ozark Casino Resort Project in the City of Lake Ozark within Miller County, Missouri. The Osage Nation submitted a fee-to-trust application to the BIA requesting that the United States take into trust approximately 27.6 acres of fee land (Project Site) for the development of a Class II gaming facility and hotel (Proposed Action). The Project Site comprises one parcel (Assessor Parcel No. 129032000000012000) and is bounded by Bagnell Dam Boulevard and Osage Beach Parkway. Proposed facilities include a casino with approximately 40,000 square feet of gaming floor space, food and beverage areas, surface parking, and support space, and a 15-story hotel tower with 150 rooms, meeting rooms, fitness center, and support space.
The Proposed Action includes the federal approvals requested by the Tribe to implement its project, including the transfer of the Project Site into federal trust status for the benefit of the Tribe under Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act and issuance of a Two-Part Determination by the Secretary of the Interior under Section 20 of Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The EA will identify and evaluate issues and environmental impacts related to these approvals and will also evaluate a range of reasonable alternatives.
The BIA serves as the Lead Agency for NEPA compliance and will use the EA to determine if the Proposed Action would result in significant adverse effects to the environment. After the NEPA process is complete, the BIA may issue a determination on the Proposed Action.