Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) web site for the environmental review of the Siskiyou Telephone Company (Siskiyou Telephone) Happy Camp to Somes Bar Fiber Connectivity Project. The project was reviewed by CPUC in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and a FInal Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was adopted by the CPUC on August 9, 2018, in Resolution T-17623, available here. The project will be constructed under a grant from the California Advanced Service Grant Program as funded by the CPUC to Siskiyou Telephone.

The proposed project was also subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), because it is located in both the Klamath National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest. The United States Forest Service is the NEPA Lead Agency, and it performed a separate environmental review of the proposed project prior to issuance of a Special Use Permit.

This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the permitting, CEQA review, and construction of the Siskiyou Telephone Happy Camp to Somes Bar Fiber Connectivity Project.

PROJECT STATUS

The Final MND was adopted by the CPUC on August 9, 2018 in Resolution T-17623 that also authorized release of CASF grant monies for the project. In accordance with CEQA, a Mitigation Monitoring, Compliance, and Reporting Plan (MMCRP) was prepared to ensure compliance with the mitigation measures approved in the MND. The MMCRP is available here.

Pre-construction Compliance

Notices to Proceed (NTPs) are being issued by CPUC by subsection of the project as requested by Siskiyou Telephone. NTP #1 for Phase 1 construction and installation of a new fiber optic broadband facility cable within or adjacent to State Highway 96 (Caltrans right-of-way) in the Klamath National Forest from mile post (MP) 32.41 south to MP 24.0 was issued by CPUC on February 20, 2019, and is available here. Separate NTPs will be issued for Phase 2 (MP 24.0 to MP 14.36) and Phase 3 (MP 14.36 to MP 12.15). Issuance of NTPs is contingent upon Siskiyou Telephone's compliance with pre-construction requirements as specified by the approved mitigation measures and responsible agency permitting requirements.

Other responsible agency permits required for construction are listed in the MMCRP (see above). Prior to construction, Siskiyou Telephone was required to submit the following surveys and plans/programs to the CPUC for review and approval. Surveys will be field validated by the CPUC Environmental Monitor on an ongoing basis.

• Special-status Plants, Wetland, and Riparian Zone Survey
• Reports; Maps of Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs)
• Bird Nesting Survey Reports (during breeding season)
• Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
• Worker Environmental Awareness Program (WEAP)
• Horizontal Directional Drilling Frac-out Contingency Plan
• Fire Management Plan
• Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Plan
• Soil Testing Report for ADL

Construction Monitoring and Minor Project Change Review

Construction is scheduled to start in March 2019 and will be monitored by the CPUC Environmental Monitors. Monitoring Reports documenting construction and compliance efforts will be available here.

As final engineering is completed or as construction necessitates, Minor Project Changes (MPCs) may be submitted for the Project. Each of these requests will be reviewed by CPUC to ensure that no new impacts or increase to impact severity would result from the requested change.

BACKGROUND

Project Description

The proposed project involves the construction and installation of 88,282 feet (approximately 16.72 miles) of fiber optic broadband facility cable in and alongside State Highway 96, which is maintained by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). Installation of the components of the fiber optic broadband facility cable would occur within the asphalt and gravel roadways or within the existing Caltrans right-of-way (ROW) adjacent to the travel surfaces. Directional boring would be used along most of the route, including when crossing creeks and culverts to avoid potential impacts on jurisdictional waters.

The proposed project is partly funded by the California Advance Services Fund (CASF). On December 20, 2007, in Decision 07-12-054 established the CASF program to provide grants that support projects that will (a) provide broadband services to areas currently without broadband access and (b) build out facilities in underserved areas, if funds are still available. CPUC Resolution T-17539 approved funding in the amount of $3,645,085 from the CASF for the proposed project. The proposed $3,595,071 funding for the fiber middle-mile link will improve network reliability to the larger region by completing a critical segment of fiber link. The proposed $50,014 funding is for constructing last-mile connections to 10 unserved households. Links to Resolutions T-17411 and T-17517 are provided above.

Project Location

The project site is located in Siskiyou County, approximately 70 miles southwest of Yreka, California. The project site begins at Milepost (MP) 12.15 on State Highway 96 and proceeds northeast approximately 16.72 miles (88,282 feet) to MP 32.21 (note: a 3-mile error in state milepost markers occurs between MP 16.38 and MP 19.64). State Highway 96 is located in both the Klamath National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest.

Environmental Review Process

On November 13, 2015, Siskiyou Telephone submitted an application for CASF funding in the underserved areas along the State Highway 96 corridor between Somes Bar and Happy Camp. The CPUC evaluated the project site and elements identified in the PEA dated January 2016. The CPUC approved funding for the project from the CASF on December 15, 2016 in Resolution T-17539. The CPUC determined that an Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) was the appropriate CEQA document to prepare for this project. After it was prepared, the Draft IS/MND was published March 16, 2018, and the public and agencies had an opportunity to comment on the document. The Final MND and supporting IS/MND was published May 17, 2018. Resolution T-17623, authorizing the release of CASF grant monies for the project and approving the IS/MND, was issued August 9, 2018.

Proponent's Environmental Assessment

Resolution T-17539 stipulates that prior to receiving funds from the CASF grant, the proponent is required to provide a Proponent's Environmental Assessment (PEA) and the CPUC must complete CEQA review. The PEA is here (9.2MB).

Deficiencies, Data Requests, and Responses

The CPUC reviewed the application and PEA to identify additional data needed from the Applicant to complete the environmental review process.

CPUC Data Request #1, dated December 18, 2017, is here.

Siskiyou Telephone's responses to CPUC Data Request #1 are here.

Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration

The CPUC released the Notice of Intent to Adopt a Draft Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (Draft IS/MND) for the proposed project on March 16, 2018. The public comment period for this document was March 16, 2013 to April 16, 2018. Following the end of the public comment period, responses to all comments received on the Draft IS/MND and submitted within the specified 30-day review period will have been prepared by the CPUC and included in a response to comments document, which together with the Draft IS/MND, constitutes the Final IS/MND for the proposed project, which was published on May 17, 2018.

The Draft IS/MND can be viewed here.

The Final IS/MND can be viewed here.

AB 52 Consultation

Pursuant Assembly Bill 52 (AB 52) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.3.1, the CPUC sent formal notification letters to California Native American tribes that have requested, in writing, to be informed about proposed projects under review by the Commission. In addition, notification letters were sent to organizations and individuals identified by the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) as traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed project. Letters announcing the 30-day formal notification process were mailed on February 6–12, 2018. No tribal requests for formal consultation on the proposed project were received.

Additional Information

Additional information will be posted as it becomes available. The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, has conducted an environmental review of the project. For more information on theo project, please contact: