Daines Secures Full PILT Funding for Montana Rural Counties in Interior Appropriations Bill

Press Release

Representative Steve Daines today announced that following his request, the House Committee on Appropriations has committed full funding of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and other programs to address the needs of Montana's rural counties.

The Fiscal Year 2015 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which passed the committee on a bipartisan vote of 29-19, will fully fund PILT, which helps offset losses of tax revenues from federally owned land that fund critical services for rural communities.

"PILT is essential for the health and safety of Montana's rural counties. I am pleased that the Appropriations Committee has committed to fully funding this important program that helps fund law enforcement, infrastructure and education for communities surrounded by federal lands," Daines said. "I will continue to work to ensure these communities are reimbursed for lost revenues and also fight for sustainable long-term solutions that improve the health of our National Forests, help create good-paying jobs and grow our rural economies."

In April, Daines joined a bipartisan group of House members in calling on the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund PILT.

"With the federal government nearly $18 trillion in debt and already the largest single owner of land in the country, we must work together to find fiscally responsible and creative solutions for land management challenges, including PILT. As we work to find solutions to these challenges, it is critical that PILT continue to be funded annually," Daines wrote to leaders of the Committee on Appropriations and Subcommittee Committee on Interior and Environment.

Daines has long fought to protect funding for PILT and the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) programs to ensure that rural Montana counties receive the support they need for essential services. Earlier this year, Daines voted against efforts to fully zero-out the PILT program and spearheaded efforts to reverse the cuts and fund the program in the Farm Bill.

The House has previously acted on sustainable solutions for rural communities that continue to await consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Daines helped introduce H.R. 1526, the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, which would create several thousand Montana jobs and provide long-term financial certainty for forest counties by increasing responsible harvests. The legislation also includes a one-year extension of Secure Rural Schools payments.

A group of 20 Montana county commissioners expressed their support for Daines' legislation in December of last year.

"The Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act would lift these needless barriers and empower the Forest Service to implement projects that help prevent catastrophic fires, address insect infestation, expands recreational opportunities, and creates thousands of jobs in our counties," they wrote in an op-ed published in the Missoulian. "We are hopeful the increased timber harvesting required by H.R. 1526 will once again generate sufficient revenues for our counties."

In addition support from the National Association of Counties, Daines' bill is backed by officials from Beaverhead, Fergus, Granite, Judith Basin, Madison, Musselshell, Powder River, Powell, Richland, Sanders and Stillwater counties.

The House passed H.R. 1526 with bipartisan support in September of last year. It has yet to be taken up in the Senate.

The Fiscal Year 2015 Interior, Environment Appropriations bill also includes Refuge Revenue Sharing payments $25 million more than last year and $38 million more than President Obama's request.

Meanwhile, the Senate is sitting on several dozen job-creating bills that have passed the House and can restore economic stability to communities without continuing dependence on continued stop-gap funding.

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