Forest Service Final Payments to States

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced that forty-one states and Puerto Rico will share over $208 million from national forest receipts to fund schools and roads.

"These payments represent a continued commitment between the Forest Service and rural America. These payments allow rural communities to share in the assets of our public lands," Glickman said.

Oregon receives the largest final payment, $20.3 million, followed by California, $8.7 million, and Washington, $6.5 million.

The Forest Service pays out 25 percent of its annual revenues collected from timber sales, grazing, recreation, minerals, and land uses to states in which national forest lands are located. These payments do not include national grassland revenues, which are calculated on a calendar year basis and are paid to counties in the spring.

Glickman noted that payments to states have declined dramatically since 1989 due to decreased timber harvests over the past decade. However, the Administration has been working with Congress to try to stabilize payments to counties and schools.

"The Administration is committed to providing both stable payments for schools and roads as well as sound management and protection of our National Forests. We don't have to sacrifice one for the other. We believe we can balance both these social imperatives," Glickman said.''

On Oct. 15, 1999, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service made interim payments of $149 million to states based on estimated national forest revenues for the year. A final payment of over $59 million, based on actual receipts collected during the year, was paid January 14 of this year.

Final payments to California, Oregon, and Washington were computed under a provision of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. Section 13982 of that Act provides for payments to States for fiscal 1999 of 70 percent of the five-year average payment for fiscals 1986-1990 for those national forests affected by the northern spotted owl decision. If based solely on actual receipts, payments to these states would be lower.