BLM Seeks Bids on Proposed Communications Facility in Hinsdale County, Colorado
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GUNNISON, Colo. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Gunnison Field Office published a Notice of Realty Action in the Federal Register seeking bids on a proposal to construct, operate, and maintain a commercial communications facility in Hinsdale County.
The Hill 71 Communications Site is located seven miles south of Lake City, CO, and serves Hinsdale County and the Lake City area. The new facility would provide for unmet current and future communications needs that cannot be accommodated with the existing communications infrastructure at the site.
“This effort will help Hinsdale County modernize its communications infrastructure,” said Gunnison Field Manager Elijah Waters. “Adding a second facility at the site will benefit the communities and first responders throughout the region.”
This effort is aligned with Executive Order 13821, Streamlining and Expediting Requests To Locate Broadband Facilities in Rural America, and the Presidential Memorandum issued to the Secretary of the Interior entitled, Supporting Broadband Tower Facilities in Rural America on Federal Properties Managed by the Department of the Interior. Both provide direction for relevant federal agencies to increase access to tower facilities and related infrastructure, and to identify assets that can be used to support rural broadband deployment and adoption. On July 6, 2018, the Department of the Interior submitted a report on rural broadband to the White House.
The BLM has long been active in efforts to facilitate broadband expansion efforts in the West. The agency continues to identify its current infrastructure assets and improvements and develop recommendations to reduce barriers and streamline the permitting process.
Last year the BLM led development of an innovative new mapping tool, the Joint Overview-Established Locations (JOEL) map. The JOEL map, hosted by the BLM in coordination with other federal agencies, identifies existing communications infrastructure located on federally managed lands as well as agency contact information, enabling greater insight into colocation opportunities. The Department will continue to work with partner agencies and stakeholder groups to further develop this mapping tool for greater accessibility.
By creating the JOEL map, the Department is providing user-friendly information that can be used to expand broadband services to currently underserved areas and streamline the permitting process to provide the best service to the American people.
Currently there are approximately 1,500 communications sites on BLM-managed lands. The BLM also administers 5,000 miles of energy corridors for power transmission (connected to 1,000 miles of energy corridors across U.S. Forest Service lands) which are compatible with communications uses such as fiber optic and phone lines.
A prospectus describing the details of the opportunity, the bid proposal requirements, and instructions for submitting a bid proposal for consideration is available on the BLM ePlanning website at https://go.usa.gov/xdUKK.
Bid proposals will be evaluated according to the criteria described in the prospectus. The BLM will prepare an environmental analysis on the application submitted by the successful bidder.
Bid proposals must be submitted by mail to the BLM Gunnison Field Office, 210A West Spencer Street, Gunnison, CO 81230 by July 22, 2020.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.