Union & Wallowa counties slated for over 3.6 million dollars in PILT funding

UNION & WALLOWA COUNTIES – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently announced that Oregon is slated to Receive $52,016,022 in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2026. For those unfamiliar with PILT funding, a press release from Merkley’s office explains in part:

“Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT funding helps to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services in counties with federal lands.”

PILT compensates counties for tax-exempt federal lands administered by federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction.”

In total, Union and Wallowa Counties will receive a combined 3,609,599 dollars in PILT funding for 2026. Specific funding and federal land amounts for both counties are:

• Union County:
  • 2026 Payments: $2,112,039
  • Total acres of federal land: 624,214
• Wallowa County:
  • 2026 Payments: $1,497,560
  • Total acres of federal land: 1,171,213

---

---

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---

• 
• 
• 
• 

---

Elkhorn Media Group