Forest Service payments heading to counties

Flathead County can expect a $1.7 million check in the mail from the Forest Service soon.

That’s the county’s share of the more than $300 million that will be paid to 41 states and Puerto Rico in support of local schools and roads as part of the Congress’ reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced April 4.

Since 1908, the Forest Service has shared with states 25 percent of gross receipts from timber sales, grazing, minerals, recreation and other land-use fees for national forest land.

The payments can be used for public schools and public roads, projects to help maintain and improve the health of forests, and for county projects such as “Firewise Communities” programs, reimbursements for emergency services and development of community wildfire protection plans. Forest projects are reviewed and recommended by resource advisory committees made up of local residents.

With declining timber sale receipts in the late 1980s, payments began to fluctuate and drop significantly. In 1994, Congress provided “safety net payments” to counties in northern California, western Oregon and western Washington.

In 2000, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, which provided enhanced, stabilized payments to more states through 2006.

The act was extended for one year and then reauthorized in 2008 for four more years, with a one-year reauthorization in 2012. The program was reauthorized in 2013 to provide benefits for an additional year.

Payments to Flathead County have steadily decreased from about $2.2 million in 2008, as did payments to other Northwest Montana counties. According to projections, Lincoln County will receive $4.8 million this year, Mineral County will receive $1.1 million, and Sanders County will receive $2.2 million.

All told, the state of Montana will receive $21.3 million, which includes $2.6 million in Title II funding for special conservation projects on federal lands proposed by resource advisory committees.