Counties Enmeshed With Federal Lands Score Wins in Spending Bill

Route Fifty: For counties with large tracts of tax-exempt public land and those affected by diminished timber harvest revenues from logging in federal forests, the $1.3 trillion spending bill President Trump signed on Friday is noteworthy.

The fiscal year 2018 package will up funding for Payments in Lieu of Taxes, or PILT, to $530 million. That's $65 million higher than the last budget cycle. It also authorizes the Secure Rural Schools program for two years. For many rural county governments, particularly those in the west, the programs can be an important source of funding.

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