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Senator Baucus Secures $47.8 Million in Critical Funding Resources for Rural Schools, Roads, First Responders

Senator’s Provision in Highway Bill Supports Essential Services for Montana’s Forest Counties

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced today that Montana’s rural counties are poised to receive more than $47.8 million in critical funding for schools, roads, search and rescue along with other county funds.

Baucus recently championed http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1066 the reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) which together account for a critical source of funding for essential services in Montana’s timber counties. The programs expired at the end of 2011, and without the extension, rural Montana would lose funding for schools, roads, search and rescue crews and other important county programs. (Read more Here http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=912 )

"Our rural classrooms, sheriffs and county roads depend on this program as a lifeline to keep essential services running. This is a part of the federal government’s responsibility to counties that are home to large areas of national forest lands which is why I fought so hard to see the program extended," said Baucus.

The U.S. Forest Service announced this week it will be asking each state for input on which counties hope to access the $308 million now available because of the program’s extension. Montana has until September 30th to inform the Forest Service which counties have elected to receive a payment.

As a lead architect of the Highway Bill, Baucus pushed his colleagues to extend the programs as an amendment to the transportation debate because more than 50 percent of SRS payments went to roads over the last decade, and census data shows much of PILT is spent on highways as well.

A breakdown of projected funding is available online at the following links:

* Secure Rural Schools Projected FY 2012 Figures online HERE. http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5381228.xls

* Payment in Lieu of Taxes FY 2012 Figures online HERE. http://www.doi.gov/pilt/county-payments.cfm?term=county&state_code=MT&fiscal_yr=2012

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