Best of the West: Volunteers step up during COVID response; fighting fire with prescribed fire; how to expand broadband; satellite detection of avalanches
BETTER BROADBAND: The past year has emphasized the inequality that results for those without a reliable broadband connection. Jeffrey Westling, in a column for Governing about improvements that could help rectify that reality, writes that “Lawmakers should ensure that cumbersome state and local regulations and review processes don’t prevent providers from building out and upgrading the infrastructure that high-speed, reliable connectivity requires.” Western Governors address the issue thoroughly in their policy resolution, Broadband Connectivity, which encourages improved broadband data and mapping, investments in scalable infrastructure, and strategies to help connect tribal communities.
