NATE Supports H.R. 4824 – The Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act of 2018
For Immediate Release:
May 16, 2018
NATE Supports H.R. 4824 – The Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act of 2018
(Washington, D.C.) – NATE today submitted an official letter of support for H.R. 4824 – The Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act of 2018. The NATE letter was submitted to members of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on Federal Lands in advance of the subcommittee’s scheduled Federal Land Bills Hearing on Thursday, May 17 at 2 PM EDT.
The Rural Broadband Permitting Efficiency Act of 2018 would help reduce barriers to deployment by allowing certain state permitting authorities to enter into agreements with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for states to conduct environmental reviews required for gaining access to certain federal lands for the purpose of installing broadband infrastructure. The bill would also would exempt projects from environmental permitting when using an existing right-of-way across USFS or BLM lands. Finally, H.R. 4824 would require BLM to establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in each BLM field office and serve as lead agency for the issuance of a single permit on behalf of all other federal agencies involved in a proposed broadband project.
Among NATE’s top priorities is the critical need to expand broadband, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Improving the processes and policies for permitting on federal lands and properties is a necessary step. NATE believes that H.R. 4824 should be part of a comprehensive and coordinated national strategy that will be vital to the nation’s homeland security, economic well-being and competitiveness.
Click HERE to read NATE’s official letter of support for H.R 4824. For more information on NATE, visit www.natehome.com.
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About NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association
NATE: The Communications Infrastructure Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association in the wireless infrastructure industry providing a unified voice for tower erection, service and maintenance companies. Today the Association boasts over 830 member companies located throughout the United States, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Trinidad. For additional information on NATE, please visit www.natehome.com.
