Five-Year Memorandum of Understanding Radio Frequency Agreement Reviews (MOU-RFA)

March 13, 2008

In Reply Refer To:
1290 (CA-946) P

       EMS TRANSMISSION: 3/13/08
       Instruction Memorandum No. CA-2008-014
       Expires: 09/30/2009

To:            All Field Managers

From:        DSD, Support Services Division

Subject:     Five-Year Memorandum of Understanding Radio Frequency                                         
                   Agreement Reviews (MOU-RFA)                                              DD:  4/25/2008 

Field office assistance is required to meet our obligation to adhere to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) requirement for government agencies to perform periodic five-year reviews of their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)-Radio Frequency Agreements.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Rules and the NTIA require a mutually approved MOU for a Government radio station to use a frequency authorized to a non-Government radio station.  Any operation on unlicensed frequencies (no MOU exists on file) is a violation of FCC/NTIA rules and regulations.  It is Bureau policy to obtain these MOUs and operate radio equipment with proper authorizations. 

Agreements must be in place in order for us to legally share the frequencies assigned to other organizations, and for us to share our frequencies with other organizations. Completing this task will ensure the continued sharing of frequencies with other organizations that we have worked so hard to establish through the years.  Any such agreements that are already in place and less than five-years old should be sent to the State Telecommunications Manager, Dexter Dearth.  Attachments 1 and 2 provide templates that illustrate the information that needs to be in these agreements.

Where agreements are out of date or have not been executed, staff from the radio program will complete, as much of the MOU forms as possible for known shared frequencies.  The forms will then be provided to the local supervisory law enforcement rangers, fire management officers, and others as appropriate - through Field Office Management - by local Radio staff.  Local field office staff will then need to obtain signatures on the agreements from local officials of the organization that owns the frequency - or that is using our frequency.

Please send the signed agreements to the State Telecommunications Manager by April 25, 2008.  Coordination with State Records Management is necessary prior to supplying the agreement to the National Radio Communication Division. 

If there are any questions, please call Dexter Dearth at (916) 978-4557.
 

Signed by:                                                                                                       
Karen Barnette                                                                                                
DSD, Support Services                                                                                    

Authenticated by:
Richard A. Erickson
Records Management

Attachments:
#1 - Radio Frequency Use Agreement between Cooperator/BLM District (2 pp)
#2 - Radio Frequency Use Agreement between BLM District/Cooperator (2 pp