In the late 1980s, due largely to declines in timber sale receipts, payments began to fluctuate and drop significantly. In 1994, Congress provided "safety net payments" to counties in northern California, western Oregon and western Washington.
In 2000, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act that provided enhanced, stabilized payments to more states through 2006. The act was extended for one year and then reauthorized in 2008 for four more years with a one-year reauthorization in 2012. The program was reauthorized in 2013 to provide benefits for an additional year.
The actual amount of each state's payment is determined by a number of factors written into the law, including how many counties ultimately decide to share in that payment. Each county's share of their state's payment amounts can be found on the Forest Service's Web site at http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/pts/securepayments/projectedpayments.
USDA Funding Provided by the U.S. Forest Service for Rural Schools (PDF, 75KB)
1/ Title II funds are allocated to national forests for conservation work identified by resource advisory committees.
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Forest Service lands contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $27 billion per year.
Source:USDA