With millions in federal stimulus funding filling state coffers, many western states are addressing the expansion of broadband access in rural areas – especially as the country’s economy and education system become increasingly digitized. Here’s a look at what some of the states are doing.

In New Mexico, where 20% of residents don’t have access to broadband internet and 68% percent live in areas with only one provider, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed legislation that allocates $133 million to expand the state’s broadband infrastructure. The bill will also create a broadband office in the Department of Information Technology that will oversee a plan for continued expansion. By doing so, the state hopes to drive future federal investments, as the New Mexico Department of Information Technology estimated it will cost between $2 and $5 billion to fill in the state’s dead zones. 

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said the Mount Rushmore State will achieve full high-speed broadband coverage by leveraging $25 million from the CARES Act into a $75 million investment for broadband infrastructure. The Final Mile Project in Arizona will make use of $1.5 million in federal funding to bridge the digital divide in seven rural school districts. The Nevada County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to dedicate $2.5 million from the CARES Act to infrastructure updates including broadband. 

While states wait for guidance from the Department of Treasury on how American Rescue Plan funding may be used (Western Governors have encouraged Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to allow states the “flexibility to use funding on the wide array of different needs that exist within our states”) some western governors are promoting federal grants to help rural communities improve broadband access and speeds. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced eligible Kansans may apply for USDA Distance Learning and Telehealth grants program, which helps rural communities expand broadband availability. Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado directed several state agencies to help Coloradans access the FCC's Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which has $3.2 billion to help households, including those on Tribal lands, pay for broadband service. 

Others are trying to finalize broadband legislation within their respective state legislatures. In Montana, the ConnectMT Act intends to use appropriations from either the state’s general fund or federal broadband stimulus funds to expand access. Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon proposed an $118 million investment in broadband in her recommended budget. "In today’s increasingly digital world, access to broadband is no longer a luxury — it is an absolute necessity," Gov. Brown said.

Learn about the Western Governors’ shared efforts to expand broadband access throughout the west in WGA’s Reimagining the Rural West Initiative.

THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORTATION: Yellowstone National Park announced that it will employ two automated shuttles, nicknamed TEDDY (The Electric Driverless Demonstration in Yellowstone), this summer around the Canyon Village area. The pilot program will collect data on speeds, stop times, attendant overrides and ridership to better understand how automated shuttle technology can be used in parks. An attendant will stay on each shuttle to make ensure rider safety and take control of the vehicle if necessary.    

ISLAND LIFE: In celebration of Guam Earth Month, more than 1,000 people volunteered to help the Guam Visitors Bureau, the Islandwide Beautification Task Force, the Guam Environmental Protection Agency, and The Palau Community Association of Guam at the Islandwide Beautification Cleanup event. In all, they collected over 17 tons of trash, including tires, electronic waste, construction and demolition debris, and mattresses. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio said the volunteers’ efforts will go a long way toward helping the pacific island reopen its economy and welcome back visitors.

A RACE TO THE TOP: Grace Staberg (on left in photo), a 19-year-old from Colorado, set a North American women’s record for the most vertical climbed in 24 hours by skinning up Copper Mountain 21 times on April 26-27. Her ascents amounted to 56,153 vertical feet – barely surpassing her friend Rea Kolbl, who climbed 55,045 feet in 24 hours at Buttermilk Ski Area on March 13. However, Staberg fell just short of the women’s world record of 57,890 feet, which Italy’s Martina Valmassoi accomplished in the Dolomites on March 22. “I would need about 2,000 more feet of climbing (for the record) and I can’t really look back and identify where I could have made that up,” she told The Colorado Sun. “That record is definitely possible, but the elevation really does make a difference.”

STATE OF THE STATE: Western Governors have delivered their annual State of the State address. Watch all addresses delivered by Western Governors to date and see a ‘word cloud’ of the top issues discussed by Jared Polis of Colorado, Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma, Mike Dunleavy of Alaska, Greg Gianforte of Montana, Doug Burgum of North Dakota, Brad Little of Idaho, Doug Ducey of Arizona, Laura Kelly of Kansas, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Steve Sisolak of Nevada, Kate Brown of Oregon, Spencer Cox of Utah, David Ige of Hawaii, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Jay Inslee of Washington, Mark Gordon of Wyoming, Gavin Newsom of California, and Lemanu Mauga of American Samoa. Read, watch all addresses.

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