The Forest Service authorizes the use and occupancy of National Forests and Grasslands for communications facilities (towers, equipment shelters, and ancillary improvements) and fiber optic cable, which provide critical communications services to rural and urban communities alike.

Communications uses located on national forests and grasslands are an integral part of the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure. The authorized infrastructure on national forests and grasslands includes over 8,000 miles of fiber optic cable and supports over 10,000 wireless uses for federal, state and local governments, emergency services, railroads, utility companies, and private communications companies and individuals for personal communications, and television and radio broadcast uses.

For more information about communications uses:

Forest Service Contacts

• National and Regional Contacts (.pdf, 283 KB)

Communications Site Map Viewer

Forms

• SF-299, Application for Transportation, Utility Systems, Telecommunications and Facilities on Federal Lands and Property (.pdf, 787 KB)

• FS-2700-4, Special Use Permit (.pdf, 118 KB)

• FS-2700-10, USDA Forest Service Technical Data Sheet (.pdf, 54 KB)

• FS-2700-10a, Facility Owner and Occupant Inventory of Communications Uses (.pdf, 131 KB)

• FS-2700-10b, Communications Use Lease (.pdf, 112 KB)

• FS-2700-10c, Communications Use Permit for Federal Entities (.pdf, 94 KB)

Applicable Laws

• Granger-Thye Act of April 24, 1950 (.pdf, 153 KB)

• Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (.pdf, 1.2 MB)

• Telecommunications Act of 1996 (.pdf, 239 KB)

• Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (.pdf, 380 KB)

• Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (.pdf, 2.3 MB)

• Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (.pdf, 1.4 MB)

Forest Service Regulations

• 36 Code of Federal Regulations Part 251, Subpart B

Forest Service Directives

• Forest Service Manual 2700

  • Chapter 2710 - Special Use Authorizations

  • Chapter 2720 - Special Uses Administration

• Forest Service Handbook 2709.11

  • Chapter 10 - Application and Authorization Processing

  • Chapter 20 - Cost Recovery

  • Chapter 30 - Fee Determination

  • Chapter 40 - Special Uses Administration

  • Chapter 90 - Communications Site Management

• Forest Service Handbook 1909.15

  • Chapter 10 - Environmental Analysis

  • Chapter 20 - Environmental Impact Statements and Related Documents

  • Chapter 30 - Categorical Exclusion from Documentation

Partner Agencies

• Department of Agriculture, Rural Development

• Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management

• Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

• Department of the Interior, National Park Service

• National Telecommunications and Information Administration