The Western Governors' Association keeps you updated on the news of the West. Here are the top stories for the week starting Dec. 2, 2019. Photo courtesy of WyoFile.
Connectivity, which includes the expansion of rural broadband availability, is a key pillar of WGA Chair and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s Reimagining the Rural West Initiative. Across the West, rural communities face a variety of challenges when it comes to bridging the ever-expanding digital divide.
For example, the town of Newcastle, California, a small, unincorporated community only a few hours from Silicon Valley, was recently found to have the slowest internet in the country, reports USA Today. To help remedy the issue of poor – or nonexistent – broadband connectivity in rural areas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently introduced the ReConnect Program, which is appropriating $600 million through a mix of loans and grants to communities lacking sufficient internet access (defined by the USDA as 10 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream).
The Colorado town of Dove Creek, through service provider Emery Telcom, became the state’s first municipality to be awarded ReConnect funding. The company will receive a $2.7 million grant to provide broadband service to 494 Dove Creek homes and businesses, as well as 57 more in neighboring Utah, the Colorado Sun reports. In Alaska, the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe will receive $18.9 million from the USDA to bring internet connectivity to approximately 270 rural households, according to Alaska Native News.
Other western states receiving money for broadband improvements through ReConnect or similar programs include: Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota, with more to come.
Learn more about WGA’s broadband connectivity policy work regarding Section 8705 of the 2018 Farm Bill, the ReConnect Program, and the FCC’s attention to the issue of census block-based reporting. Additionally, watch our webinars on Broadband Data & Mapping and Broadband Deployment in Tribal Communities.
Ecosystem Engineers: Unlike animals such as elk, mule deer and pronghorn, who migrate throughout the spring to follow sprouting plants and grasses, new research suggests that bison create their own “green wave” by “constantly mowing down emerging vegetation and fertilizing it with their dung and urine,” according to Smithsonian Magazine. As a result, experts believe that these heavily grazed plants contain 50% to 90% more nutrients than their untouched counterpoints. Learn how this phenomenon works.
National Park Status for Bandelier: Legislation has been introduced in New Mexico to establish Bandelier National Park and Preserve, a move that, according to the Albuquerque Journal, would help protect land considered sacred by local indigenous tribes. A similar attempt was made in the early 20th Century; however, the move ultimately failed, leading to President Woodrow Wilson designating it Bandelier National Monument in 1916. Here’s why legislators are trying again.
Cypto Cowboys: Thanks to a series of bills passed by the Wyoming state legislature in recent years, blockchain-powered cryptocurrencies now offer the state a unique opportunity to capitalize on the emerging financial system and build their tech economy in the process, WyoFile reports. Some experts, however, are warning that welcoming this budding industry with open arms is not without its risks. Read more about the pros and cons of bringing cryptocurrency to the Equality State.
Christmas in the Capital: Although this year’s Capitol Christmas Tree has already arrived in Washington, D.C. – courtesy of Carson National Forest in New Mexico – planning for next year’s tree is already underway, according to Colorado Public Radio. The U.S. Forest Service, the agency in charge of selecting the source of each year’s tree, has picked Colorado for 2020, with Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests all serving as potential candidates. Find out more about the holiday tradition.
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