USDA funding Tribal communities' clean water, high-speed internet projects

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest $58 million for projects that support economic development, high-speed internet deployment and modern infrastructure in tribal communities in Nevada, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.

The grants are financed through the ReConnect Program and the Water and Waste Facility Loans and Grants to Alleviate Health Risks on Tribal Lands Program. Those programs are part of ongoing measures to dissolve long-standing barriers Tribal nations face when accessing critical funding programs.

“When we invest in modern infrastructure for people who live in Tribal communities, we create a ripple effect that impacts everyone,” USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a news release.

According to the department, $1.1 billion has been awarded through the ReConnect program to 57 Tribal communities.

The Oglala Sioux Tribe in South Dakota received $35 million to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network that will deliver high-speed internet to 3,300 people, 47 businesses, 55 farms and seven educational facilities in Bennett and Oglala Lakota counties.

The Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma will use a $22 million grant to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to deliver high-speed internet to nearly 2,000 people, 12 businesses and 100 farms in Le Flore County.

The Yomba Shoshone Tribe in Nevada, a participant of USDA’s Rural Partners Network (RPN), will use a $772,000 grant to make water infrastructure improvements.

RPN is a USDA-led alliance of federal agencies and commissions working with rural communities to access government funding resources to create jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic growth.

The Yomba Shoshone Tribe will use the funds to replace a water tank, install water lines and fire hydrants, bolstering the Tribe’s water system overall.

Since RPN’s launch in April 2022, about $2.6 billion has been spent on various economic development projects in RPN communities across 10 states and Puerto Rico.

^{Strategic Partnerships, Inc.}^{can provide information on contract opportunities, plus existing and future government funding. For more information, contact}^{research@spartnerships.com}^.