Bringing High-Quality Internet to the Flathead Indian Reservation

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) was awarded a grant under the Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program (TBCP) from the US Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The project’s goal is to provide high-quality broadband internet access to Native households, businesses, and anchor institutions located within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation.

In 2021, the CSKT IT Department surveyed internet users throughout the Reservation. Results showed that only 50% of the communities had access to broadband internet with qualifying speeds. Communities with access to qualifying-speed internet paid nearly double the monthly national average. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated how critical reliable broadband internet is for families and businesses on the Reservation. Without it, many Native households and businesses cannot function in the changing and ever-increasingly technologically connected day-to-day life.

To receive grant funding and move forward with engineering design and construction, the project needed to meet the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements. CSKT contracted Morrison-Maierle to complete the environmental review for the CSKT Broadband Infrastructure Project Environmental Assessment.