PRP.10.4.040 Environmental Review Process

(a) Unless a lease is exempt from the environmental review process, the Conservation Department shall cause to be prepared before the approval of the lease a comprehensive and adequate tribal environmental report, analyzing the potentially significant effects of the proposed action on the environment; provided, however, that information or data which is relevant to such a report and is a matter of public record or is otherwise publicly available need not be repeated in its entirety in the report, but may be specifically cited as the source for conclusions stated therein; and provided further that such information or data shall be briefly described, that its relationship to the report shall be indicated, and that the source thereof shall be reasonably available for inspection at a public place or public building. The report shall provide detailed information about the Significant Effects on the Environment that the lease is likely to have, and shall include a detailed statement setting forth all of the following:

(1) A description of the physical environmental conditions in the vicinity of the proposed lease, including the environmental setting and existing baseline conditions, as they exist at the time the notice of preparation is issued;

(2) All Significant Effects on the Environment of the proposed lease;

(3) In a separate section:

(A) Any Significant Effect on the Environment that cannot be avoided if the lease is executed; and

(B) Any Significant Effect on the Environment that would be irreversible if the lease is executed; and

(C) Any mitigation measures or restoration and reclamation plan proposed, recommended, or required.

(b) In addition to the information required pursuant to subdivision (a), the tribal environmental report shall also contain a statement indicating the reasons for determining that various effects of the proposed lease on the off-reservation environment are not significant and consequently have not been discussed in detail in the report. In the report, the direct and indirect Significant Effects on the Environment shall be clearly identified and described, giving due consideration to both the short-term and long-term effects.