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<div class="WordSection1">
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Information on a pilot program re: broadband.
</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Stakeholder Announcement</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Federal Planning Assistance for</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center">
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Broadband and Sustainable Community Development</span></strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center">
<em><b><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Cool & Connected</span></b></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Brandon McBride encouraged communities interested in using broadband service to help revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development apply for Cool &
Connected, a pilot program sponsored by USDA Rural Utilities Service and the </span>
<span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0462C1"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMTI2LjU0MzAwODUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDEyNi41NDMwMDg1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2NzkyNjg1JmVtYWlsaWQ9dGVkZC5idWVsb3dAd2RjLnVzZGEuZ292JnVzZXJpZD10ZWRkLmJ1ZWxvd0B3ZGMudXNkYS5nb3YmdGFyZ2V0aWQ9JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&100&&&http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth">U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency Office of Sustainable Communities</a></span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts will help community members develop strategies and an action plan for using planned or existing broadband service to promote smart, sustainable community development.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Quality broadband access can provide new opportunities for people and businesses. A growing number of communities have combined broadband service with other local assets such as cultural and recreational
amenities to attract and retain investment and people, including young people. This can help diversify local economies. Such efforts typically require planning among community leaders, businesses, and internet service providers. The Cool & Connected program
will provide assistance to this end, helping communities take advantage of new or existing broadband service to create walkable, connected, economically vibrant main streets and small-town neighborhoods.
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style="mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in">
<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> <u>Eligibility </u></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<ul type="disc">
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Any community representative is welcome to submit a letter of interest to participate in Cool & Connected.
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Special consideration will be given to small towns and rural communities that face economic challenges.
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Special consideration will be given to communities in places where USDA has provided loans or grants in support of broadband or other internet-related services.
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<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Deadline and where to send letters of interest</span></u><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Submit your letter of interest to Ed Fendley at
<a href="mailto:Fendley.Ed@epa.gov">Fendley.Ed@epa.gov</a> by Wednesday, February 24, 2016. Kindly include “Cool & Connected” and the name of your community in your e-mail subject line.
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<u><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">What to include in your letter of interest
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Your letter of interest can be in the text of an email or an attachment. It should be no longer than two printed pages. If you want, you can provide additional letters of support from partners, but this
is not necessary. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Community representatives are encouraged to describe community needs and challenges related to downtown revitalization or other place-based development, and how a planning process might help. You should
indicate any areas of interest related to internet service and place-based development, such as:
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Using new or existing broadband service to attract new types of businesses to main streets or existing rural communities
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Combining internet service with other local amenities to attract new investors, visitors, and residents
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Developing or marketing downtown Wi-Fi zones
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Extending broadband service beyond anchor institutions in ways that promote main street development
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Selecting centrally located anchor institutions or community facilities that will receive broadband service</span><o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Community representatives submitting letters of interest are also encouraged to indicate partners that can be expected to participate in a planning process, such as local internet service providers,
local officials, business associations, or local schools or colleges. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">#</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p align="center" style="text-align:center"><em><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil
Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).</span></em><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="http://links.govdelivery.com:80/track?type=click&enid=ZWFzPTEmbXNpZD0mYXVpZD0mbWFpbGluZ2lkPTIwMTYwMTI2LjU0MzAwODUxJm1lc3NhZ2VpZD1NREItUFJELUJVTC0yMDE2MDEyNi41NDMwMDg1MSZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTE2NzkyNjg1JmVtYWlsaWQ9dGVkZC5idWVsb3dAd2RjLnVzZGEuZ292JnVzZXJpZD10ZWRkLmJ1ZWxvd0B3ZGMudXNkYS5nb3YmdGFyZ2V0aWQ9JmZsPSZleHRyYT1NdWx0aXZhcmlhdGVJZD0mJiY=&&&101&&&http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/USDARD/2016/01/26/file_attachments/486736/USDA_RUSStakeholderAnnounceFedPlanning.pdf" target="_blank">USDA_RUSStakeholderAnnounceFedPlanning.pdf</a></span><o:p></o:p></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
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