Regional Programmatic Environmental Impact Statements

Due to the geographic scope of the FirstNet network (all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five territories) and the variety of ecosystems potentially traversed by the project, the FirstNet Authority prepared five regional programmatic environmental impact statements (PEISs) to support National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance. The five PEISs were divided into the East, Central, West, South, and Non-Contiguous Regions. The Final PEISs analyzed potential impacts of the deployment and operation of the FirstNet network on the natural and human environment, in accordance with the FirstNet Authority's responsibilities under NEPA. In 2017, all five regional PEISs were completed and Records of Decision (RODs) were drafted and signed to document the agency’s environmental determinations. These PEISs serve as the foundation of environmental review for the FirstNet network. The PEISs are used in coordination with the FirstNet Authority’s categorical exclusions and site-specific analyses to review and make environmental determinations on proposed projects.