RCRC Requests Full and Permanent Funding for the Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program

On Thursday, RCRC sent letters to members of the RCRC congressional delegation requesting that Congress fully fund the federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program in Fiscal Year 2021 and make this permanent funding in subsequent years.

Enacted over forty years ago, the PILT program remains a discretionary program subject to the annual appropriations even though funding is vital for many of California’s counties. Particularly, rural counties that contain significant federal land consider these funds as an important component of their general fund budget. California’s rural counties use the PILT program to provide critical services, such as law enforcement, search and rescue, firefighting, and parks and recreation. Predictable funding for PILT would provide counties with a greater financial consistency while planning for a future that includes coronavirus-related costs that are anticipated to continue for a number of months, if not years.

View one of the RCRC letters to the House of Representatives delegation here.