WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sixth U.S. Congressional District Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Bainbridge Island) joined with a nationwide bipartisan group of federal and county-level officials March 1 to tell Congress to protect funding for the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs.

These two federal programs help local governments in rural timber communities and areas with large federal land ownership offset tax revenue lost because of the presence of federal forests and other nontaxable federal lands.

“Timber communities and communities with large federal land ownership deserve certainty that they’ll get a fair deal from Congress,” Kilmer said.

“Secure Rural Schools and Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs provide that certainty and help create opportunities in communities. Counties use these funds for vital services like investing in job-creating infrastructure, hiring police officers and attracting great teachers for the region’s kids.”

In regions that are home to federal forests and other large areas of federal lands, tax revenue to fund the vital services people rely on is tied to timber receipts, Kilmer said. He said when harvest levels decline, so does the revenue to local governments, but the need for services is constant.

The federal government has helped local communities manage these financial pressures over the past century. Since the SRS program expired in 2015, this assistance has declined, according to the bipartisan group.

Kilmer is a cosponsor of HR 2340, which would retroactively reauthorize the program for an additional two years in order to restore the payments. He’s also working to develop a permanent fix for this challenge.

Bob Gelder, Kitsap County commissioner for District 1, advocated for the funding along with Kilmer.

“PILT and SRS are vital sources of funding for counties with vast quantities of federal timberlands,” Gelder said. “I so appreciate Congressman Kilmer’s support of our communities. Many counties’ infrastructure depends on this compensation program, without which they are unable to support rural economic development.”

In Clallam County, group members said approximately 48 percent of the land is either part of Olympic National Park or set aside by the U.S. Forest Service. The county receives approximately $900,000 through SRS and PILT.