SCH Number 2009101079

Project Info

Title

Channel Islands Telecommunication Project

Description

Note: MND/EA The CITC is proposing to install the cellular telecommunication infrastructure at 17 project locations on the five islands: Anacapa Island; San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara Island, Santa Cruz Island, and Santa Rosa Island that make up the Channel Islands National Park. The proposed project is needed because NPS staff currently has limited ability to communicate between locations on the Channel Islands and with personnel and other contact points on the mainland. The islands have a very high frequency (VHF) radio system that allows communication among radio-equipped ranger stations on the five islands. There is also satellite internet service at some ranger stations that allows secure access to government internet provider (IP) addresses on the mainland. NPS personnel also possess cellular telephones; however, cellular service is unreliable because the islands are at the outer limit of the cellular service area. As such, the location of the islands makes cellular telephone service unreliable on some parts of the islands and wholly absent on others. Recreational visitors to the island have no land line telephone access and little to no cellular telephone reception. The proposed project would provide cellular telephone service at all ranger stations, fire stations, campground sites, residences, and runways on the five islands, as well as at all portions of the islands within an approximately 0.5 mile radius of each of the 17 proposed facility locations. The new service is intended to be consistent and reliable, with a reliability of 99.99999 percent, meaning that service will be available at these locations 99.99999 percent o the time.

3 documents in project