Digital 299 Broadband Project

Welcome to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) website for the environmental review of the Digital 299 Broadband Project. Vero Fiber Networks, LLC, a certified telecommunications service provider, is proposing to install fiber optic cable in northern California extending from approximately Eureka to Cottonwood. The proposed alignment will generally follow California State Route 299 (SR-299).

The Project is under review by CPUC in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The CPUC is also coordinating with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Districts 1 and 2; the State Lands Commission; the Department of Fish and Wildlife; the State Water Resource Control Board; and County and local agencies, among others.

The proposed Project was also subject to review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Federal agencies partnering with the CPUC on the environmental review of the Digital 299 Project include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and National Park Service (NPS).

This site provides access to public documents and information relevant to the permitting, CEQA review, and construction of the Vero Fiber Networks Digital 299 Project.

PROJECT STATUS

In December 2022, Resolution T-17766 adopted the joint EA/ISMND in compliance with CEQA and approved the issuance of a notice to proceed for the Project. As of June 2023, most federal, state, and local agency permits have been issued for the project, and Vero is continuing to work with agencies to obtain any outstanding permits.

Construction of the Project would be in two phases: the middle-mile phase and the last-mile phase.  Construction of the middle-mile phase began in January 2023 and is expected to require 27 months. Construction of the second phase is anticipated to begin after completion of the middle-mile phase.

BACKGROUND

Project Description

Vero Fiber Networks, LLC, is proposing to develop a fiber optic network in the Northern California region to provide rural connectivity and redundancy across the region, improve safety for travelers and first responders and stimulate economic development. The proposed Project would support long-term connectivity for rural communities in the area, which have been identified by CPUC as unserved or underserved.

Project Location

The Project alignment generally follows the SR-299 corridor, with some portions sited along county, city and USFS roads. In total, approximately 300 miles of fiber optic line will be installed in buried, underground conduit. The proposed alignment proceeds from Eureka through Willow Creek, Weaverville, and Redding, terminating in Cottonwood; the Project includes connection lines spurring off of the backbone to serve nearby communities.

A Project Overview map is available here.

Environmental Review Process

Because the Project requires federal actions (e.g., grant of right-of-way from BLM, special use permits from USFS, etc.), it must be in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant regulations, including the CEQA.

Transcon Environmental, an environmental consulting firm, has been retained to perform NEPA and CEQA compliance activities, including resource studies and the preparation of a joint NEPA/CEQA document. The NEPA/CEQA document will consider potential effects of the Project on the environment, including physical, biological, social, economic, and cultural resources.

Project Timeline

Initial data collection and technical studies took place through Fall 2019, and subsequent data collection and updates to the technical studies took place through 2021. Public and agency scoping occurred for the Digital 299 Project in summer 2019, including four public meetings and mailings in July 2019.

The Project was then placed on hold in 2020 during a change of ownership and restarted in 2021 with Vero Fiber Networks, LLC, as the new Project Proponent. Project update notices were mailed to the public in December 2021, and the draft EA/ISMND was circulated for public review and comment in January 2022.

Under the new ownership, the proposed Project remained largely the same, following the same proposed route and construction methods. The California Public Utilities Commission remained the Lead Agency for CEQA compliance and permitting. The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Federal Highway Administration, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers coordinated together under NEPA.

The Project Newsletter provides Project information including Project Location and Timeline, Environmental Analysis, Opportunities to Comment, and the locations of hard copies of the EA/ISMND.

Public Involvement

The CPUC and its Digital 299 federal partner agencies released the EA/ISMND for 30 days of public comment on January 3, 2022. All public comments were considered and incorporated in the Final EA/ISMND. The Final Digital 299 Project EA/ISMD and all of the appendices are available by clicking on the link below.

• Final EA/ISMND can be found by clicking here.

AB 52 Consultation

Pursuant to 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 CPUC. In addition, notification letters were sent to organizations and individuals identified by the Native American Heritage Commission as traditionally and culturally affiliated with the geographic area of the proposed Project. All of these Tribes and Organizations will be notified of the restart of this Proposed Project.

Federal Decisions

The Six Rivers National Forest issued a Decision Memo and Categorical Exclusion for the proposed Project on November 2, 2022.

The Bureau of Reclamation issued a Categorical Exclusion for the proposed Project under NEPA on November 15, 2022.

The Bureau of Land Management issued a Decision Record and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on November 22, 2022.

The Federal Highways Administration issued a FONSI on February 6, 2023.

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest issued a Decision Notice and FONSI on March 6, 2023.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued the 404 Nationwide Permit for the Project to Vero on March 7, 2023.

Additional Information

The CPUC, through its Environmental Review Team, has conducted an environmental review of the project. For more information on the Project, please contact: