U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) is leading his colleagues in drafting and sending a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) about the need to fix the broken permitting process for broadband infrastructure on federal lands.
Constructing any kind of broadband system on Federal Lands can be challenging, to say the least.
Companies trying to place a tower or site on federal land run into miles of red tape, convoluted, and oftentimes confusing, environmental reviews, and sometimes outright stalling from federal agencies. The leasing process can be hard to interpret and understand, a convoluted mess of regulations and hoop-jumping. In many cases, federal agencies will not enter into long-term leases, which means the process starts up again every five years or so. That often frustrates companies because of requiring an appraisal of the fair market value of the lease or permit rights.
Staff reviewing the applications may be overworked or unqualified, or maddeningly, both. Furthermore, the leases aren’t that significant of a revenue stream, so federal agencies and bureaus sometimes see the leases as more of a burden than a benefit.
Barrasso’s letter (signed by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and other GOP senators) specifically highlights how inaccurate and negligent record keeping has led to significant delays in the permitting process for applications on federal land. According to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), both agencies regularly fail to approve permits within the 270-day timeline set by Congress. These delays increase costs for internet service providers and further delay closing the digital divide. The letter requests information from both agencies on plans to fix multiple inaccuracies and improve their ability to track and manage applications.
“Congress has allocated a significant amount of taxpayer money to expand access to high-speed internet, especially in rural areas, many of which reside on or are adjacent to federal land. It is imperative that this funding is utilized in a timely and efficient manner. Inaccurate record keeping and neglect only increase costs for internet service providers,” Barrasso writes in the letter, highlighting how “efforts to track and manage applications for broadband infrastructure on federal land” are beyond frustrating for potential broadband service companies to wade through.
Ironically, President Obama addressed the lack of broadband access during his administration. In 2013, the Obama administration realized that expanding broadband service into rural areas could actually be helped by the use of federal lands. Specifically, Obama’s Administration sought to improve the permitting and review process on federal lands, since the federal government owns 30% of all lands in the US and thousands of buildings.
As a result, Obama issued Executive Order 13616, “Accelerating Broadband Infrastructure Deployment,” to increase broadband expansion. The Order sought to increase the availability of federal lands and identify assets suitable for the placement of wireless facilities. The Order also looked to encourage the use of federal lands, especially in areas of limited or no broadband service. The Trump administration also felt strongly about the placement of wireless infrastructure on federal property, issuing its own Executive Order.
But the process to expand broadband capabilities in rural areas is often tedious, confusing, and frustrating.
Barrasso says “…the need to fix the broken permitting process for broadband infrastructure on federal lands” is an on-going problem that can be solved by the BLM and USFS in helping citizens in rural areas of the United States to have access to high speed internet service.
Access to high-speed, broadband service improves access to education, job opportunities, and high-quality workers. It helps connect applicants with resources and training for skills development that better qualify them for good paying jobs, wherever they might live, according to the Biden-Harris Adminstration.
