U.S. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) applauded $36.9 million in funding under the 2018 Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to support essential services in rural Oregon.
The payments will be made to all 36 counties in Oregon, and represent the largest amount ever allocated in the 40-year history of the PILT program.
Umatilla County will receive $$1,057,363 and Morrow County will receive $376,464.
“These funds are welcome news for rural communities across our state,” said Walden. “I worked with my colleagues in the House to fully fund this program that is part of the federal government’s obligation to our rural counties. With the majority of Oregon’s land managed by the federal government, these funds, along with Secure Rural Schools funds and timber receipts, help ensure our communities have well-functioning schools, law enforcement, and infrastructure.”
In the government funding measure that was signed into law in March, Walden secured $530 million in full funding for PILT, which counties in rural Oregon rely on. PILT program eligibility is reserved for local governments that contain non-taxable Federal lands within their boundaries. These jurisdictions provide significant support for national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreation areas throughout the year. PILT seeks to compensate local governments for the inability to collect property taxes on federally-owned land.
