Ellsworth Development Authority seeks funding to address B‑21 expansion impacts; cites school capacity and community infrastructure needs

Scott Langeth, executive director of the Ellsworth Development Authority, and Tony Nishimura, the authority's military community relations director, told the Joint Committee on Appropriations that the B‑21 basing and related construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base will generate major local impacts and that two bills (Senate Bill 6 and Senate Bill 16) aim to help address those impacts.

Langeth said the authority — created by the Legislature in 2009 after base realignment threats — has worked to strengthen the region's bid for missions by expanding training airspace, reducing incompatible land use and building infrastructure that improved the base's standing in prior BRAC evaluations. "That expansion will have impacts in the community. It's gonna be over $2,000,000,000 in construction on the base, create nearly 1,600 new jobs when everything is settled," Langeth said.

Why it matters: the B‑21 mission expansion brings construction, population growth and service demand to the region; the authority is requesting state assistance to address short‑ and medium‑term community impacts on schools, housing and public infrastructure.

Langeth said 20 base projects had been awarded at Ellsworth, totaling about $1.2 billion so far, and he estimated the full expansion would approach $2 billion with roughly $80 million in estimated state and local tax revenues when construction completes. He said the base's arrival will add an estimated 4,000 people to the local population after full stationing and that the authority expects tax and sales‑tax revenue increases from contractors and suppliers.

On schools, Langeth told the committee that Douglas School District anticipates capacity constraints and has identified a need for at least one new elementary school; he said Douglas had secured about $42,000,000 in federal funds but that the estimated project cost is about $60,000,000. Langeth said the proposed bills would help the region absorb costs associated with growth in housing demand, school capacity and infrastructure.

Langeth reviewed prior steps the authority took to improve the base's siting credentials: expansion of the Powder River Training Airspace (now described as the largest in the lower 48), construction and operation of a regional wastewater treatment facility that serves Ellsworth and Box Elder, acquisition of land or easements to reduce incompatible uses and the Liberty Center fitness/indoor facility for base personnel and the public.

Langeth and Nishimura also discussed workforce and contracting questions raised by lawmakers, including recent project labor agreement issues on some federal construction work; Langeth noted that historically waivers were granted more routinely at regional Army Corps offices but that waiver practices had shifted in recent years and that the new administration may revisit waiver policies.

Ending: Langeth asked lawmakers to consider the proposed bills to assist local communities in meeting one‑time and recurring costs associated with the expansion; no committee votes were taken during the presentation.

Discussion points: B‑21 construction pipeline and dollar amounts; school capacity needs (Douglas School District); compatibility and land‑use easements; local revenue and TIF considerations; workforce/contract issues on large federal construction projects.

Directions: authority to continue coordination with the delegation and with local school districts on funding and timing for school capacity projects, and lawmakers indicated interest in receiving more detailed cost estimates for infrastructure and school projects.