Secure Rural Schools & Community Self-Determination Act

[Butch Crain]

This act originally purported to offset the impacts of reduced logging on national forests in the northwest. The program was expanded to most states that contain national forests, regardless of their past levels of logging - some states being funded have NO recent history of timber harvesting on NF lands.

The FS site for info on this act is http://www.fs.fed.us/srs/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Of particular interest to some may be the links in the right hand menu bar for "State Payments for FY08", "County Payments for FY08", and "Projected FY2009-2011 Payments (xls)". Arkansas as you may note, receives significant revenues from this act - doesn't hurt to know how much for your county, particularly if some of these funds can be used to maintain and improve roads (access) and other infrastructure.

Just remember, these funds are being pulled out of thin air (taxpayers' pockets) to replace revenue that was originally intended to be provided by sustained and managed timber harvests. It may be a windfall, but it ain't free.