[1st-mile-nm] Fwd: Community Connect Grants

[Brunner, Terry - RD, Albuquerque, NM]

I too am disappointed that this particular application wasn't funded.  If it helps to know, this program, Community Connects, and the Distance Learning and Telemedicine program are heavily oversubscribed.  In other words, we receive far more applications than we are able to fund.  In the case of Community Connects, I believe we had more than $100 million in requests, but were allocated approximately $20 million in funding for the program.

That doesn't make things better in Ramah, but we will continue to try our best to help that community through other sources.


Terry Brunner
State Director
USDA Rural Development-New Mexico
6200 Jefferson, NE  Room 255
Albuquerque, NM  87109
Office:  (505) 761-4950
Fax:  (505) 761-4976
Follow me on Twitter @Terrybrunner
 www.rurdev.usda.gov | "Committed to the future of rural communities"

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-----Original Message-----
From: 1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org [mailto:1st-mile-nm-bounces at mailman.dcn.org] On Behalf Of Richard Lowenberg
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 2:12 PM
To: 1st mile nm
Subject: [1st-mile-nm] Fwd: Community Connect Grants


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Community Connect Grants
Date: 25.10.2013 10:13
 From: Les Matthews <les at mesacapitalpartners.us>

As you are aware the USDA/RUS announced yesterday $20.3M in Community
Connect Grant Awards for 2013 to 14 recipients. Once again New Mexico,
despite having one of the poorest rankings in rural broadband
penetration in the nation was left out. The last time New Mexico
received one of these awards was in 2009. Since that time at least 6
applications have been denied.
This years snub was especially painful. It was for the Pine Hill-Ramah
Navajo areas. The application covered 1,700 residents that have NO
access to broadband. The only internet available to this community is
satellite internet, which doesn't meet the USDA/RUS definition of
broadband, and costs $80.00/mo. This community, according to the 2010
census is the poorest community in the state. It has 70% unemployment.
This grant would have been a lifeline to them. I would have created
jobs, and online educational and employment opportunities.
The community contracted out the engineering and grant writing of this
grant to ACRS in Oklahoma City. ACRS's clients over the past 10 years
have been awarded over 50% of all Community Connect Grants, so a weak
grant application wasn't one of the problems here. Even a commitment of
matching funds in cash was provided ($180,000). The application was
accompanied by letters of support from the entire New Mexico
Congressional Delegation, The Ramah Navajo Tribal Council, Several
tribal/community leaders, over 200 residents, and NMDOiT.
This year, due to the short timeline for grant submissions after the
posting of the NOFA, a smaller number of applications was received by
the USDA/RUS for these grants. The USDA dispatched their local GFR's to
the field to confirm broadband availability for about half of the
applications. This application didn't even make that cut. Why is that
New Mexico keeps being ignored by the USDA/RUS for these important
grants?

Les Matthews
505 690 0207

--
----------------------------------------
Richard Lowenberg, Executive Dir.
1st-Mile Institute, 505-603-5200
P.O.Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
www.1st-mile.org  rl at 1st-mile.org
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