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Milestone Extension: Use Authorization (DOI-BOR)

Submitted by giannina.dimai… on

This extension would allow the proponent time to submit required documentation (survey plats and Joint Use Agreement/Permits for ROW). A detailed survey plat and legal description of where the proposed right of way will be within the existing easements are necessary, to ensure accuracy and to show that all the requirements of the legal description have been met. Given the application is not yet complete, all milestones will need to be pushed out. Coordination with all cooperating agencies on these milestone changes has occurred. 

Action
Project Name:
Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project
Responsible Agency:
Bureau of Reclamation
Agency Status: Cooperating under FAST-41
Cooperating under NEPA
Status:
Planned

Milestones:

Initial application submitted (Applicant Action)
Completed Date:
Application deemed complete (Agency Action)
Current Target Date:
Final decision/agency action (Agency Action)
  • Monthly Status Report for June 2026:
    Recently, additional Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project pipeline appurtenant features were identified along the proposed broadband alignment during field surveys requiring additional engineering reviews and revisions to the use authorization agreement. The revised use agreement is under legal and management review. The agreement is now anticipated to be completed on 6/26/2026.
  • Non-conformance Explanation:
    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) missed the April 30, 2026, milestone to complete the use authorization. Per 42 U.S.C.§ 4370m-2(c)(2)(F), Reclamation is required to provide an alternative completion date and an initial explanation for the missed completion date by May 11, 2026. Reclamation has provided the initial explanation for the missed date but has not yet provided the required alternative completion date. The Permitting Council is working with Reclamation to ensure an alternative completion date is determined and represented on the permitting timetable as soon as possible. Modifications to the language of the use authorization agreement were requested at the end of April delayed the execution of the agreement and prompted additional internal reviews.
Current Target Date:


View Action's Modification History

Milestone
Final decision/agency action (Agency Action)
  • Monthly Status Report for June 2026:
    Recently, additional Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project pipeline appurtenant features were identified along the proposed broadband alignment during field surveys requiring additional engineering reviews and revisions to the use authorization agreement. The revised use agreement is under legal and management review. The agreement is now anticipated to be completed on 6/26/2026.
  • Non-conformance Explanation:
    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) missed the April 30, 2026, milestone to complete the use authorization. Per 42 U.S.C.§ 4370m-2(c)(2)(F), Reclamation is required to provide an alternative completion date and an initial explanation for the missed completion date by May 11, 2026. Reclamation has provided the initial explanation for the missed date but has not yet provided the required alternative completion date. The Permitting Council is working with Reclamation to ensure an alternative completion date is determined and represented on the permitting timetable as soon as possible. Modifications to the language of the use authorization agreement were requested at the end of April delayed the execution of the agreement and prompted additional internal reviews.
Current Target Date:
Project

All dates below are specific to the schedule of the Environmental Review and Permitting processes for this project.

In Progress

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING STATUS
IN PROGRESS

icon_calendar

ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING
10/19/2026

4 out of 9

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING PROCESSES
COMPLETED

Broadband

SECTOR
Broadband

Project Category

CATEGORY
Project Category FAST-41 Covered Projects

Department of the Interior

LEAD AGENCY
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs

View FAST-41 Postings by Agencies

Other Agencies with Actions or Authorizations:

Department of the Interior

Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service

Department of the Interior

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

Department of the Interior

Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management

Description:

The Navajo Nation Department of Education proposes to deploy a reliable, affordable, scalable,
and future-proofed broadband network that bridges the digital divide for the foreseeable future in some of the most remote, isolated, high-cost, and difficult to serve areas of the United States. The Navajo Nation Department of Education E-Rate Funded Broadband Project consists of constructing approximately 323 miles of middle mile fiber optic network on the Navajo Nation to connect 17 Head Start entities and 33 libraries with high-speed Internet connectivity to speeds of 1 Gbps or greater.

field_status
Approved
System Comments
Furthest out
Original Target Date: 12/23/2025
Milestone: Final decision/agency action (Agency Action)

Requested extensions greater than 30 days for this Action are shown below:

Final decision/agency action (Agency Action) extended by 128
From: 12/23/2025
To: 04/30/2026
Missed Date Process
No
Missed Date Triggered by Extension
No
Original Milestone
Final decision/agency action (Agency Action)
  • Monthly Status Report for June 2026:
    Recently, additional Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project pipeline appurtenant features were identified along the proposed broadband alignment during field surveys requiring additional engineering reviews and revisions to the use authorization agreement. The revised use agreement is under legal and management review. The agreement is now anticipated to be completed on 6/26/2026.
  • Non-conformance Explanation:
    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) missed the April 30, 2026, milestone to complete the use authorization. Per 42 U.S.C.§ 4370m-2(c)(2)(F), Reclamation is required to provide an alternative completion date and an initial explanation for the missed completion date by May 11, 2026. Reclamation has provided the initial explanation for the missed date but has not yet provided the required alternative completion date. The Permitting Council is working with Reclamation to ensure an alternative completion date is determined and represented on the permitting timetable as soon as possible. Modifications to the language of the use authorization agreement were requested at the end of April delayed the execution of the agreement and prompted additional internal reviews.
Current Target Date:
Furthest Original Target Date Milestone
Final decision/agency action (Agency Action)
  • Monthly Status Report for June 2026:
    Recently, additional Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project pipeline appurtenant features were identified along the proposed broadband alignment during field surveys requiring additional engineering reviews and revisions to the use authorization agreement. The revised use agreement is under legal and management review. The agreement is now anticipated to be completed on 6/26/2026.
  • Non-conformance Explanation:
    The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) missed the April 30, 2026, milestone to complete the use authorization. Per 42 U.S.C.§ 4370m-2(c)(2)(F), Reclamation is required to provide an alternative completion date and an initial explanation for the missed completion date by May 11, 2026. Reclamation has provided the initial explanation for the missed date but has not yet provided the required alternative completion date. The Permitting Council is working with Reclamation to ensure an alternative completion date is determined and represented on the permitting timetable as soon as possible. Modifications to the language of the use authorization agreement were requested at the end of April delayed the execution of the agreement and prompted additional internal reviews.
Current Target Date: