Forest Service distributes SRS funds
By Terry Murry on Thursday, April 25th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Forest Service is issuing more than $232 million in the agency’s Secure Rural Schools Program. That includes just under $63 million to counties in Oregon and Washington. Oregon receives $47,782,384 – the highest amount among all states.
The SRS program is an effort to fill the gap counties with national forests fail to realize based on taxes if their lands were fully developable. They are earmarked primarily for rural areas to support schools, roads, and other services provided through the counties.
We have rounded the figures being sent to counties in Eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington. They are: Baker County $848,000; Grant County $3,630,000; Harney County $1,357,000; Malheur County $9,667; Morrow County $159,751; Umatilla County $579,491; Union County $751,246; and Wallowa County $1,083,000.
Rounded allotments in Washington state include Asotin County $60,877; Columbia County $135,425; Garfield County $88,459; and Walla Walla County $526.
Over the last decade, the Forest Service has distributed $2.4 billion through the Secure Rural Schools program. The agency also retains some of the funding to support projects that improve forest conditions and support jobs in rural communities with input from local resource advisory committees.
