FAST-41 Initiation Notice
Project Information: Title: Navajo Nation Department of Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project Sector: Broadband. Type: Tribal Broadband. Universal Service Fund E-Rate Special Construction Funding Location: Navajo Nation – New Mexico Project Sponsor Name: Navajo Nation Broadband Office Contact Information: Applicant: Sonia Nez, Department Manager Navajo Nation Broadband Office Post Office Box 7440 Window Rock, Arizona 86515 Phone: (928) 810-9201 E-Mail: sonianez@navajo-nsn.gov
Contactors: Rebecca Mirabal
Engineering Construction Program Manager
Sacred Wind Communications, Inc.
5901 J-Wyoming BLVD NE #266
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: 505-905-6087
E-Mail: Rebecca.mirabal@commnetbroadband.com
Paul Tavella
Senior Manager Construction
Sacred Wind Communications, Inc.
5901 J-Wyoming BLVD NE #266
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: 505-238-3598
E-Mail: paul.tavella1@commnetbroadband.com Statement of the purposes and objectives of the project The Navajo Nation Department of Education applied for and obtained E-rate funding for the special construction of 324 miles for fiber installation to 17 Head Start entities and 33 libraries throughout New Mexico. SWCT has completed construction and delivered service to nine libraries, and six Head Starts thus far. SWCT is working diligently to secure the required rights of way and the permits needed to complete the project in its entirety and serve all the locations. The remaining FY 2020 projects require 316 miles of new right-of-way and construction. The most time-consuming and complicated part of this project is the permitting process. The planned fiber route crosses several different types of land
status (Tribal, federal, state, and privately owned lands), a scenario often described as a “checkerboard” jurisdictional area. For that reason, SWCT has had to seek rights-of-way and other permissions from numerous entities: the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Land Management, the Navajo Nation Heritage and Historic Preservation Department (NNHPD), the Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Department (NNFWD), the Navajo Nation Land Department, the State of New Mexico Land Department, and the New Mexico Department of Transportation. The Navajo Nation Department of Education proposes to deploy a reliable, affordable, scalable, and future-proofed broadband network that bridges the digital divide for the foreseeable future in some of the most remote, tribal, isolated, high-cost, and difficult to serve areas of the United States. The Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project consists of constructing a 323 miles of middle mile fiber optic network on the Navajo Nation to connect 17 Head Start entities and 33 Libraries with high-speed Internet connectivity to speeds of 1 Gbps or greater. The Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project will benefit not only the students, the educators, Native Elders, mentors, anchor institutions, health care providers, public health and safety entities, and small businesses because the proposed middle mile network will form the back bone for connectivity of all these groups. The project objectives are to (1) improve educational opportunities; (2) bring new opportunities for distance learning and education, telemedicine, public health and safety, employment and remote work capabilities and rural economic development; (3) provide an essential tool for cultural survival acting as a hub for language preservation; and (4) connect youth and adults with culture-bearing Native Elders, mentors, and networking resources. Concise description including general location and/or a summary of geospatial information, if available, and the locations, if any, of environmental, cultural, and historic resources As depicted below the Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project is part of a collection of projects to extend and expand middle mile fiber connectivity on the Navajo Nation.
It is anticipated that permits, authorizations or consultations will be required from the following agencies: Statement regarding the technical and financial ability of the project sponsor to construct the proposed project The Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project is funded via a combination of Federal Universal Service Fund E-Rate Program funding, private capital and school district funds. The E-Rate Program funding amount for the project is approximately $37M. Sponsor, The Navajo Nation Broadband Office (NNBBO) was established to provide the Navajo Nation Residents with access to affordable high-speed broadband connectivity by developing a comprehensive strategic broadband plan for the Navajo Nation and working with the Navajo Nation and outside vendors to achieve broadband initiatives. The NNBBO represents the Navajo Nation government’s best interests in negotiating with developers seeking to provide broadband services in the Navajo Nation
See Map below.
Permitting Agencies
Navajo Nation Heritage and Historic Preservation
Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Department
National Environmental Protection Agency
Navajo Nation Land Department
Bureau of Indian Affairs Real Estate
Bureau of Indian Affairs Roads Department
Bureau of Land Management
State of New Mexico Land Department
New Mexico Department of Transportation
by; centralizing and streamlining the planning, actively seeking funding, serving as the sole conduit of information regarding funds for broadband infrastructure projects in the Navajo Nation: including but not limited to maps, access points, connection speeds, rights-of-way, and lease and connection rates for all existing and future broadband infrastructure projects in the Navajo Nation.
SWC Telesolutions, Inc. (Sacred Wind) was selected via a competitive bidding process to construct the proposed network. Sacred Wind was established in 2006 and has been constructing broadband networks on the Navajo Nation. Sacred Wind is committed to extending broadband to rural and Tribal communities in New Mexico. Statement of any Federal Financing, environmental reviews, and authorizations anticipated to be required As described above, the Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project is funded via a combination of Federal Universal Service Fund E-Rate Program funding, private capital and school district funds. The E-Rate Program funding amount for the project is approximately $37M. Sacred Wind is required to complete all environmental assessments before it can begin construction. The planned fiber route crosses several different types of land status (Tribal, federal, state- and privately-owned lands), a scenario often described as a “checkerboard” jurisdictional area. For that reason, Sacred Wind has had to seek rights-of-way and other permissions from numerous entities: the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Land Management, the Navajo Nation Heritage and Historic Preservation Department (NNHPD), the Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Department (NNFWD), the Navajo Nation Land Department, the State of New Mexico Land Department, and the New Mexico Department of Transportation. In addition, a large portion of the route lies on Tribal land consisting of “allotments” to individual families. Obtaining rights-of-way on these allotments requires the collection of signatures from individual landowners. Because few of these landowners live on their allotted property, locating the landowners, delivering the required letters of intent, obtaining the necessary signatures, and negotiating the terms of the rights-of-way with the landowners—has been a significant undertaking. Sacred Wind is proud that it has completed that process even though it took nearly three years to complete (the BIA has told Sacred Wind that this application involves the highest number of “allottees” ever submitted to the BIA for review and approval of a construction right-of-way). Assessment that the project meets the definition of a covered project as defined in 42 U.S.C. §4370m(6)(A) of the FAST Act and a statement of reasons supporting the assessment.
The Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project meets the definition of a “covered project” as defined in 42 U.S.C. §4370m(6)(A) as follows:
1.
Consistent with 42 U.S.C. §4370m(6)(A) the Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project requires authorization or environmental review by a federal agency for the construction of broadband infrastructure.
2. Consistent with 42 U.S.C. §4370m(6)(A) (III), the Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project is
(I) subject to NEPA
(II) sponsored by the Navajo Nation
(III) located on land owned or under the jurisdiction of the Navajo Nation.
No applications or supporting documents available at this time.
Not applicable at this time.
Not applicable at this time.
Not applicable at this time.
Determination was made that Environmental Assessment is required.
