Rural Library Application Guide

Rural Development

United States Department of Agriculture

OMB Approved 0572-0142
Expires [, 2010]

Rural Utilities Service

Broadband Initiatives Program

Rural Library Broadband Grant Program

Application Guide

For reference please see our website:

http://www.broadbandusa.gov

Issue Date: [ ]

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is [xxx]. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 360 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

Rural Utilities Service (“RUS”)

Broadband Initiatives Program

Rural Library Broadband Grant Program

The Broadband Initiatives Program (“BIP”) was established in response to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“Recovery Act”). The primary goal of the Recovery Act is to provide a fiscal boost to the Nation during its greatest economic crisis. Providing access to broadband services will increase economic development and improve the quality of life for all Americans. BIP will furnish grants to assist with addressing the challenge of rapidly expanding the access and quality of broadband services across Rural America and to meet the objectives of the Recovery Act. Furthermore, the Rural Library Broadband Grant Program was established to allow Awardees under the First Round Notice of Funds Availability (“NOFA”) and Second Round NOFA the opportunity to adjust projects to include service to rural libraries.

BEFORE GETTING STARTED

The Agency noted in the Second Round NOFA that more specific requirements for the Rural Library Broadband Grant Program would be outlined in a Request For Proposals (“RFP”). Applicants MUST read both the Second Round NOFA and the RFP published in the Federal Register.

The Second Round NOFA and RFP MUST be utilized in conjunction with this Application Guide. Should any differences result in the interpretation of this Application Guide, NOFA, and the RFP, the NOFA and RFP takes precedence over information contained in this Application Guide.

NOTICE: This Application Guide follows the format required for paper submissions of Rural Library Broadband Grant applications. Use the information presented in this guide to complete the paper applications.

Please see Page 7 of this Application Guide for guidance on the use of various Attachments required to submit a complete Rural Library Broadband Grant application.

Application Guide Table of Contents

General Information 3

1. Background 3

2. Funding Options 3

3. Application Process 3

4. Definitions 3

5. Applicant Eligibility 4

6. Project Eligibility 4

7. Eligible Purposes 5

8. Evaluation Criteria 5

9. Application Submission 6

10. Contact Information 6

Instructions for Completing the Rural Library Broadband Grant Application 7

A. General Application Information 8

B. Required Attachments 10

C. Checklist of Attachments 17

General Information

1. Background

In accordance with the Recovery Act, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published its Second Round NOFA on January 22, 2010, identifying new funding opportunities for Last and Middle Mile Infrastructure projects. In that Second Round NOFA, RUS also announced the opening of a future window for specific grants for Satellite, Rural Library Broadband, and Technical Assistance, and that any requirements would be outlined in the RFP.

The Rural Library Broadband Grant Program was established to allow Awardees under the First Round NOFA and Second Round NOFA the opportunity to adjust projects to include service to rural libraries. Applicants must propose serving only those rural libraries which do not currently have a broadband connection.

2. Funding Options

RUS will offer 100% grant funding to projects submitted by Awardees under the First and Second Round NOFA, or Applicants under the Second NOFA, to connect any rural library without broadband service within their proposed funded service area, which is being constructed, or to be constructed with funding from USDA’s Community Facilities program of the Rural Housing Service. The grant request must include the broadband connection to the rural library. Such costs did not have to be addressed in the original application submitted under the First or Second Round NOFA. If the costs were addressed, however, in the original application, the Applicant must request that such costs be converted to grant funds.

3. Application Process

Applications will be evaluated in terms of the benefit to the rural library benefitting from the grant, as well as the benefits to the community to be served. In addition, the quality of the broadband service being provided, the length of any proposed free service or additional discounted service, the conditions of the community to be served, such as unemployment rate or income levels, and the reasonableness of costs will all be considered as a whole.

4. Definitions

The Recovery Act, Second Round NOFA, and RFP use several new terms, as well as terms that have been redefined from previous RUS usage. A complete list of definitions is included in the Second Round NOFA and RFP; however, the following warrant notice from Rural Library Broadband Grant Applicants and are listed below:

Broadband - Providing two-way data transmission with advertised speeds of at least 768 kilobits per second (kbps) downstream and at least 200 kbps upstream to end users, or providing sufficient capacity in a middle mile project to support the provision of broadband service to end users.

End-user equipment - Excluding desktop or laptop computers, computer hardware and software (including anti-virus, anti-spyware, and other security software), audio or video equipment, computer network components, telecommunications terminal equipment, inside wiring, interactive video equipment, or other facilities required for the provision and use of broadband transmission services.

First Round NOFA – The NOFA published in the Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 130, Thursday, July 9, 2009 at FR 33104.

Grant documents - The grant agreement and security documents between the RUS and the Awardee and any associated documents pertaining to the grant.

Grant funds - Federal funds provided pursuant to a grant made under this RFP.

Rural Area – Any area, as confirmed by the latest decennial census of the Bureau of the Census, which is not located within: (1) a city, town, or incorporated area that has a population of greater than 20,000 inhabitants; or (2) an urbanized area contiguous and adjacent to a city or town that has a population of greater than 50,000 inhabitants. For the purposes of the definition of rural area, an urbanized area means a densely populated territory as defined in the latest decennial census of the Bureau of the Census.

Rural Library – A library in a rural area.

Second Round NOFA - The NOFA published in the Federal Register, Vol. 75, No. 14, Friday, January 22, 2010 at FR 3820.

Telecommunications Terminal Equipment – telecommunications equipment at the end of a circuit or path of a signal, including but not limited to facilities that receive or transmit over the air broadcast, satellite, and microwave, normally located on the premises of the end user, that interface with telecommunications transmission facilities, and that is used to modify, covert, encode, or otherwise prepare signals to be transmitted via such telecommunications facilities, or that is used to modify, reconvert, or carry signals received from such facilities, the purpose of which is to accomplish the goal for which the circuit or signal was established.

5. Applicant Eligibility

The following entities are eligible to apply for BIP funding under the Rural Library Broadband Grant Program:

• Awardees under the First Round NOFA or Second Round NOFA; and

• Applicants under the Second NOFA.

Applicants under the Second Round NOFA that have not yet been notified of the status of their application may apply for assistance; however, such submissions are at the Applicant’s own risk. Only those Applicants that are ultimately selected as Awardees under the Second Round NOFA will be eligible to receive a Rural Library Broadband Grant Program award.

If the Applicant will not be solely responsible for all grant assets located in the rural library, then the rural library must be a Co-Applicant for the grant.

6. Project Eligibility

All applications MUST meet the following application eligibility criteria to be eligible for an award:

• The application must be complete;

• The application must demonstrate timely completion with all award funds being advanced within 3 years;

• The project must offer service meeting the definition of Broadband, as defined in the Round 2 NOFA and RFP;

• The rural library or libraries to be served by the project must be constructed, or are to be constructed, with funding from USDA’s Community Facilities program of the Rural Housing Service;

• The rural library or libraries to be served by the project must currently be without a broadband connection; and

• The rural library or libraries to be served by the project must be located within one of the proposed funded service areas in the Applicant’s First Round or Second Round awarded project or Second Round application.

**Refer to the Second Round NOFA and RFP for additional guidance on the above eligibility criteria.**

7. Eligible Purposes

Award funding Must be used:

• To fund the cost for the last mile connection to the rural library.

In addition, Award funding CAN be used:

• To fund the costs for up to 10 desktop or laptop computers and individual workstations located within the rural library;

• To fund the costs for end-user equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment needed to carry out the project;

• To fund the costs for the improvement of the rural library in order to accommodate, if necessary, the individual workstations; or

• To fund the cost of providing broadband service, free of charge, to the rural library for up to 2 years.

8. Evaluation Criteria

In accordance with the Recovery Act, the priority for BIP is to provide and improve broadband services to the highest proportion of rural residents who do not have access to broadband services for rural development. The Rural Library Broadband Grant Program was established in order to allow Awardees the opportunity to adjust projects to include service to rural libraries.

Applications for Rural Library Broadband grants will be evaluated in terms of the benefit to the rural library benefitting from the grant, as well as the benefits to the community to be served. The quality of the broadband service being provided, the length of any proposed free service or additional discounted service, the conditions of the community to be served, such as unemployment rate or income levels, and the reasonableness of costs will be considered as a whole.

9. Application Submission

Applications for Rural Library Broadband Grant projects will only be accepted in paper format from [Date], 2010 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) until [Date], 2010 at 5:00 p.m. ET. The application packages are available at http://www.broadbandusa.gov.

Paper Format: Paper applications must include proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:

(i) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark. Please note that the U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, Applicants should check with their local post office;

(ii) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service; or

(iii) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier.

Neither of the following will be accepted as proof of mailing: a private metered postmark, nor a mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

Paper applications must be completed in blue or black ink. The application must be typed, single-sided, single-spaced on 8 ½” by 11” paper, excluding diagrams and charts. Fonts should be no less than 12 points and margins should be no less than one inch. The application and certifications must have original signatures.

Mailing Address: One original and one copy of the completed application must be mailed, shipped, or sent overnight express to:

Package Service Delivery Address	Hand-Delivery Location
Broadband Initiatives Program Rural Utilities Service U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Stop 1599 Washington, DC 20250-1599	Broadband Initiatives Program Rural Utilities Service U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Room 2868 Washington, DC 20250

10. Contact Information

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found at http://broadbandusa.gov/faq.htm. For additional information concerning the Rural Library Broadband Grant Program, direct all questions to the Broadband USA Help Desk.

Broadband USA Help Desk

Hours of Operation: 7AM to 7PM (ET)

Phone: 877-508-8364

Email: [email protected]

Instructions for Completing the
Rural Library Broadband Grant Application

Before assembling your application, please note:

General application items #1 - #6 can be answered using the General Application Information form. The remaining items, #7 - #13, are items/questions that the Applicant will complete and attach in the same order outlined within the Application Guide. Specific attachment requirements for each item will be explained further within the Application Guide.

Several application items/questions require the completion of Attachments which can be downloaded from www.broadbandusa.gov and are included within a separate zip file. Some of these Attachments allow Applicants to fill-in information directly into the PDF, Excel, or Word files, while others do not.

If the description of your project in a particular Attachment requires more space, rows, columns, fields, or detail than the standard Attachment allows for, you may create and submit expanded or modified versions of these Attachments. However, if you choose to do so, you MUST adhere to the following guidelines to assist our reviewers in properly evaluating your information:

• Clearly label EACH Attachment by original letter and title

(e.g., Attachment E – Detailed Project Budget)

• Format your Attachment as closely as possible to the original

• At a minimum, include as much information as was originally requested in the Attachment

1. General Application Information

1. Applicant Information: Applicants must supply general information about their organization in this section. It is important that Applicants complete every relevant entry to help ensure that the application is sent to the proper reviewers.

1. Name, Address, and Contact Information of Applicant: Enter the legal name of the Applicant, name and title of the Primary Point of Contact for the project. In addition, you must provide the physical address, email address, telephone number, and fax number for the Applicant. The business address provided should be the Applicant’s physical mailing address so that RUS may send correspondence by overnight delivery service if necessary. If the Applicant does not have a fax number, a reliable e-mail address must be included. Otherwise, correspondence will be sent by mail. It is important that you complete every applicable field and that the information be accurate. RUS will use the contact information provided in this section for all future contact concerning the application.

2. Required Identification Numbers of Applicant:

1. Employer Identification Number (EIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service.

2. As required by the Office of Management and Budget, all Applicants must supply a Dun and Bradstreet Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. If you have questions, please call the dedicated toll-free D&B request line at 1-866-705-5711 or via the Internet at http://www.dunandbradstreet.com.

3. The Federal Acquisition Regulation requires that contractors be registered in the CCR database prior to being awarded a contract. Provide the CCR (CAGE) Number of the Applicant. The CCR Customer Assistance Center can be contacted toll free at 1-888-227-2423.

4. The Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for BIP grants is 10.787.

3. Name and Contact Information of Additional Project Contact: Enter the name, organization, project role, and contact information for an additional person to be contacted on matters involving the application.

4. Name and Contact Information of Environmental Point of Contact: Enter the name, title, email, and telephone number for the individual RUS should be contacting regarding the environmental review requirements in the application.

5. Type of Organization: Check the appropriate box for your organization.

6. Type of Eligible Entity: Check the appropriate box for your entity type and provide the EasyGrants ID assigned to your Round 1 or 2 applicable application(s).

7. Applicant Federal Debt Delinquency Explanation: Indicate whether the Applicant or any Co-Applicant is delinquent on any Federal debt. If yes, provide an explanation. Keep in mind that this question applies to the Applicant itself, not the individual who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of debt include delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes.

8. Buy American Requirement: Indicated whether your organization is seeking a waiver of the Buy American Provision. If you are a public entity or are part of a public-private partnership, and are proposing to purchase foreign-made goods not specifically exempted by the Buy American Waiver Notice published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2009, a waiver is required.

None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by the Recovery Act may be used for the construction, alteration, maintenance, or repair of the public building or public work (as such terms are defined in 2 CFR 176.140) unless all of the iron, steel, and manufacturing goods used in the project are produced in the United States. The Department of Agriculture published a notice in the Federal Register stating that the Secretary of Agriculture reached the conclusion that applying the Buy American provision for the use of certain broadband equipment in public BIP projects would be inconsistent with the public interest.

9. Congressional District: Provide the state and congressional district where the Applicant is physically headquartered, not where the applicant is incorporated. (e.g. CA-4)

2. Co-Applicant Name and Contact Information: If applicable, enter the organization, point of contact name, project role, and contact information for each additional Co-Applicant. Please use Attachment A - Additional Co-Applicant Information, if you are listing more than one Co-Applicant.

If the Applicant will not be solely responsible for all grant assets located in the rural library, then the rural library must be a Co-Applicant for the grant.

3. Project Description: Provide a title and description for your project and the number of jobs that will be created or saved by the project. The project description should include a few sentences which concisely describe your project. This description will be published on a publicly accessible website; therefore, you should ensure that the description explains your project in the manner in which you want the public to view it. Do not include any proprietary information within this description.

4. Quality of Service Being Provided: Provide a description of the quality of service provided to the rural library or libraries to be served by the project.

5. Project Benefits: Provide a description of the benefits of your project to the community or communities to be served.

6. Project Budget: List the total amount of RUS funding being requested for the project. Ensure that this amount matches the information contained in Attachment E, the Detailed Project Budget.

Attachments - Verify that items # 7 - #13 have been included with your application.

Applicant Certification – Certify the information that is contained within your application.

Please Note: The remaining items, #7 - #13, are items/questions that the Applicant must complete and attach in the same order outlined within the Application Guide. Additional attachment requirements will be explained further within the Application Guide.

2. Required Attachments

7. Executive Summary: Complete Attachment B by providing an Executive Summary of the proposed project. This summary should be a brief description of the proposed project and should convey the reason why the project is needed and the qualifications of the Applicant to construct and implement the project. At minimum the Executive Summary should include:

• A description how your project will provide a broadband connection to the rural library to be served by the project and a description of any construction or renovation to the rural library which will be required for the project;

• The benefits to the rural library to be served by the project;

• The length of any proposed free service or additional discounted service which will be offered to the rural library served by the project;

• The reason why the project is needed;

• A description of the current condition of the community or communities to be served by the project, such as the unemployment rate or income levels;

• The number of jobs estimated to be created or saved as a result of the project (should match the information provided in the Project Description section);

• The reasonableness of the costs of the project;

• The qualifications of the Applicant to construct and implement the project;

• The operational relationship between the Applicant and any Co-Applicants; and

• How the project promotes rural economic development, supports persistent poverty counties, serves chronically underserved areas, demonstrates cost effectiveness, offers low-cost service options, and/or provides for geographic diversity.

8. Listing of Rural Libraries: Complete Attachment C by listing the rural library or libraries to be served by the project. Then provide the name of the community, or other area, where the rural library is located, the population of that community per the 2000 Census, the state and county where the library and community are located, and finally the name of the proposed funded service area which the rural library is located within. Please ensure that the proposed funded service area name you list is consistent with the proposed funded service area name assigned in your Round 1 or Round 2 application.

9. Certification Regarding Availability of Broadband Service and Community Facilities Funding: Complete Attachment D to certify that no broadband connection currently exists to the rural library or libraries to be served by the project and to certify that the rural library or libraries have or will be constructed with funding from the USDA’s Community Facilities program of the Rural Housing Service.

10. Detailed Project Budget: The purpose of this attachment is to break down the specific costs involved in your project and categorize them. Complete Attachment E by providing a detailed listing of the budget line items applicable to your project.

1. Step 1 - Detail of Project Cost Schedule: Enter a descriptive name for each capital item or group of items in the appropriate category. Only eligible project costs should be captured in this schedule. For any questions on what project costs are eligible under the Rural Library Broadband Grant Program, please see the Round 2 NOFA or RFP. Use the Unit Cost and Number of Units fields to further break down the costs. When multiple items are included in one “unit,” use the description column to provide enough detail that the reviewers can easily see how you arrived at that unit cost. Now multiply the Unit Cost and Number of Units to get a sub-total for each line and enter that sub-total in the Total Projects Costs column. Total each column at the bottom of each budget category and then provide a Grand Total of all items included in each budget category added together. The following information is provided as a guide to the various budget categories:

• Network & Access Equipment Costs: Examples of items to include are switches, routing, transport, and access equipment.

• Outside Plant Costs: Examples include cable (aerial, buried, and underground), conduit systems, poles, network interface devices (NIDs), miscellaneous construction units, make-ready costs for aerial plant, the cost for the construction of new towers, and any costs involved with structural changes to existing towers.

• Building and Land Costs: Examples include the costs for renovating existing buildings, and any site preparation costs involved.

• Customer Premises Equipment: Examples of items to include are wireless subscriber units and modems.

• Operating Equipment: Examples include the costs for renovating existing buildings, and any site preparation costs involved.

• Professional Services: Examples include engineering costs involved in designing and constructing the proposed project, consultant services, and project management.

• Broadband Service to Library: This includes the costs for providing free broadband service to the rural library or libraries to be served by the project.

• Other Upfront Costs: Include any other upfront costs not covered in the other categories, such as site preparation.

2. Step 2 - Useful Life and Asset Depreciation: This section of the worksheet will help you calculate your weighted average useful life and estimated asset depreciation. First, enter the Total from each budget category from the Detail of Project Cost Schedule above. In the Enter Average Useful Life by Category column, enter the average useful life of the items listed in that budget category. For example, you might list 20 years as the average useful life for the items in Outside Plant but a shorter life for the equipment categories. Now, divide each Category Total by the Average Useful Life and enter that number in the Estimated Annual Depreciation field for each category.

3. Step 3 – Calculate Weighted Average Useful Life: To calculate the Weighted Average Useful Life of the whole project, you take from the Project Cost Schedule each Category Total and divide it by the Total Project Costs at the bottom. Multiply that resulting weight or proportion by the Average Useful Life you entered for that budget category. Complete this same calculation for each category and sum the resulting weighted averages. That sum total is your Weighted Average Useful Life for the whole project.

11. Project Build-Out Timelines and Milestones: Complete Attachment F by providing details on the incremental projects costs that you anticipate during the 3 year build-out period and the project milestones over that 3 year period.

1. Step 1 – Project Build-Out Timeline: Use this worksheet to summarize the anticipated RUS funding for your project on a quarterly basis. Then keep a running total of all project costs on the “Cumulative Total Project Funding” line. The total project funding at the end of Year 3 should match the information provided in Attachment E, the Detailed Project Budget. Keep in mind that 100% of award funds should be advanced by the end of Year 3.

2. Step 2 – Project Milestones: Use this table to list the major project build-out phases and milestones that can demonstrate that your entire project will be complete by the end of Year 3.

12. Environmental Questionnaire: Complete Attachment G by addressing each question in Attachment G, the Environmental Questionnaire. Below is additional guidance on addressing the various questions in the Environmental Questionnaire.

1. Environmental Review Requirements: Any project-related activity that may adversely affect the environment must not be undertaken prior to the completion of RUS’ environmental review process. You should follow the instructions provided in Attachment G - Environmental Questionnaire (EQ) as well as those indicated below. RUS requests that you provide your responses in a standalone document (the EQ) and append to that document any required maps, resource listings, and correspondence, as applicable. You must not reference items provided in other parts of the application package; all materials relevant to providing a complete answer to the items in the questionnaire must be integrated into the responses in order to facilitate a timely review. Upload supplemental information (for example, relevant environmental studies, other environmental review documents submitted to other state or federal agencies, site or aerial photographs, etc.) as separate attachments within this Upload category. Clearly label all documents as well as file names.

2. Completing the Environmental Questionnaire: The EQ contains a list of 10 questions or items requiring a response, most of which require supporting documentation or maps. Specific instructions are contained under each item in the EQ and will not be repeated here. All of the EQ items must be completed or the application may be considered incomplete. If an item is not applicable, please enter “N/A” instead of leaving the section blank.

Below are supplemental requests and additional guidance for each item, to be used in your response.

1. Project Description and Location: To avoid delays in the review, this description must accurately discuss ALL construction-related activities proposed in the application.

2. Map: If possible, locations of all proposed activities must be indicated and clearly depicted on each map submitted. If specific locations of project components are unknown, then proposed service area territories must be delineated on any map(s) created. The map is required in order to verify locations of the proposed construction activities or service territories and will assist RUS in making its environmental determinations. More than one map may be necessary in order to convey the information required to facilitate the review.

3. Property Changes: See the EQ for detailed instructions on completing this item.

4. Buildings: For buildings or structures that are listed or are eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, please see EQ item viii. For all other buildings or structures, you should provide accurate dimensions and complete descriptions of proposed construction and/or modifications.

5. Wetlands: If a project occurs in or near, or has the potential to affect, a wetland, Applicants must provide additional information, such as maps or documentation of whether any permits or correspondence with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) or other responsible federal or state agencies have been obtained. In some cases, this may be in the form of a letter from the USACE or another federal agency responsible for oversight. For buried cabling, state whether a USACE Nationwide Permit will be used.

6. Threatened and Endangered Species: In addition to the link provided in the EQ, it may be useful to visit the FWS webpage at http://www.fws.gov in order to find the list of species by county. If a threatened or endangered species is listed in the area of the proposed project, you may be required to consult with the USFWS upon the award of your proposal. However, in the EQ, Applicants must provide species information and determine whether any critical habitat crucial to those species is present and will be affected in the project area.

7. Floodplains: A FIRMette is a full-scale section of a FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map that you can create online and is formatted to fit on printers commonly found in offices. There is no cost for creating a FIRMette. Buildings or habitable structures within the 100-year floodplain must demonstrate compliance with local floodplain ordinances.

8. Historic Properties: The response must document actions you took to respond to this item and the information that was gathered. You must contact the appropriate State Historical Preservation Officer/Tribal Historical Preservation Officer (SHPO/THPO) as soon as possible. All responses or comments received from the SHPO/THPO must be submitted with the EQ. RUS will evaluate the submitted information in order to determine how to conclude the Section 106 review. If the SHPO/THPO is not forthcoming with information, then you should state this fact in your response, including the date when the SHPO/THPO was contacted.

9. Coastal Areas: State coastal zone management (CZM) programs that have received approval from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) may review any proposed federal assistance to a state or local government entity for an activity that is listed in the state’s management program as a type of activity that will (a) have a reasonably foreseeable effect on any coastal use or resource, and (b) occur within the coastal zone (see 15 CFR 930.95(a)) or within a described geographic area outside of the coastal zone (see 15 CFR 930.95(b)). You must provide to the state’s CZM office a copy of the application along with a brief evaluation of the relationship of the proposed project and its reasonably foreseeable coastal effects to the enforceable policies of the state’s management program. However, these requirements only apply to Catalogue of Domestic Assistance funds that each coastal state has specifically listed that it wants to review for consistency purposes.

You should consult with the state as to whether BIP funds are listed for review. If the state agency responsible for consistency reviews intends to review the project, then you are obligated to notify RUS. In this instance, RUS will not approve the release of Federal funds until the state agency completes the federal consistency review and concurs that the project is consistent with the enforceable policies of the state’s CZM program.

10. Brownfields: If a proposed project is located within a brownfield site, then you should contact the appropriate state regulatory authority responsible for hazardous waste contamination issues to determine whether there are any restrictions or regulations regarding development of the site. If there are restrictions, then you must provide that information in the application along with an analysis of how any such restriction could affect the proposed construction, including any potential mitigation measures that the state or EPA recommends.

3. Resources: Should you have any questions, or need advice or help in understanding and complying with the environmental review process, feel free to contact RUS:

Mark S. Plank, Director

Engineering and Environmental Staff

Rural Utilities Service

1400 Independence Ave., SW

Mail Stop 1571, Room 2242

Washington, DC 20250

Phone 202-720-1649

Fax: 202-690-0649

List of Internet Environmental and Historic Preservation Resources

Resource	Website
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) for guidance on the Section 106 review	http://www.achp.gov
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Web site (U.S. Department of the Interior [DOI]) for issues related to government managed lands	http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html
White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Web site for guidance on NEPA issues	http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq
CEQ NEPA site, NEPAnet for guidance and information concerning environmental review process	http://www.nepa.gov/nepa/nepanet.htm
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site for general regulatory environmental information	http://www.epa.gov
EPA NEPA compliance Web site	http://www.epa.gov/Compliance/nepa/epacompliance/index.html
EPA Regional Office Contacts	http://www.epa.gov/epahome/regions.htm
FEMA Regional Offices for regional information related to flood plain development issues	http://www.fema.gov/about/contact/regions.shtm
Local Emergency Planning Committee Database Web site (for hazardous materials)	http://yosemite.epa.gov/oswer/lepcdb.nsf/HomePage
National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO) Web site	http://www.nathpo.org/THPO/state_list.htm
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) contact information	http://www.ncshpo.org/stateinfolist/fulllist.htm
National Register of Historic Places Web site	http://www.nps.gov/nr
NEPA statute	http://www.nepa.gov/nepa/regs/nepa/nepaeqia.htm
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Zone Management Program for information on coastal development issues	http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/coasts/management/welcome.html
USDA Web site	http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome
USDA National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Web site	http://www.nrcs.usda.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Web site (U.S. DOI) for issues related to Endangered Species	http://www.fws.gov
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) for Issues Related to Projects on Forest Service Managed areas	http://www.fs.fed.us/publications
USACE Wetlands Information	http://www.wetlands.com/regs/tlpge02c.htm
USACE Wetlands Delineation Manual	http://www.wetlands.com/regs/tlpge02e.htm
USDA RUS Environmental Review Information	http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/pdf/1794.pdf http://www.usda.gov/rus/water/ees/pdf/1794A-603.pdf

13. Certifications: Complete all of the certifications listed below. (Attachments H - L)

• Attachment H - Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Certification;

• Attachment I - Certification Regarding Architectural Barriers;

• Attachment J - Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 Certification;

• Attachment K - Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters –Primary Covered Transactions; and

• Attachment L - Certification Regarding Lobbying for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements.

3. Checklist of Attachments

The following is a list of the Attachments and references to specific items/questions where Attachments are required. There is a template available for each Attachment outlined below and these templates can be downloaded from www.broadbandusa.gov and are included within a separate zip file. Some of these templates allow Applicants to fill-in information directly into the PDF, Excel, or Word files, while others do not. Keep in mind that Attachment A is not required for all applicants. It is only required if there is more than one co-applicant to the application. Use the table below to check and ensure that you have provided all Attachments needed to submit a complete application.

Attachment	Description	App. Question	Completed
A	Additional Co-Applicant Information	2
B	Executive Summary	7
C	Listing of Rural Libraries	8
D	Certification Regarding Availability of Broadband Service and Community Facilities Funding	9
E	Detailed Project Budget	10
F	Project Build-Out Timeline and Milestones	11
G	Environmental Questionnaire	12
H	Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination Certification	13
I	Certification Regarding Architectural Barriers	13
J	Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 Certification	13
K	Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, and Other Responsibility Matters-Primary Covered Transactions	13
L	Certification Regarding Lobbying for Contracts, Grants, Loans, and Cooperative Agreements	13