U.S. Ag Department Announces Secure Rural Schools Program

Sunday, April 17th, 2022 -- 11:00 AM

President Biden and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced investment of more than $238 million to support public schools, roads, and other municipal services through the Secure Rural Schools Program, which will deliver payments to 742 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.

The program was reauthorized for fiscal years 2021 through 2023 by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Forest Service retains a portion of Secure Rural Schools program funds to support projects that improve forest conditions and support jobs in rural communities.

Resource advisory committees, made up of residents representing varied interests and areas of expertise, review and recommend projects that meet their local needs.

Since 1908, 25% of Forest Service revenues from timber sales, mineral leases, livestock grazing, recreation fees, and other funding sources are shared with states and counties that have national forests.

By the 1990s, Forest Service payments from these sources began to decline, largely because of long-term diminished volume in timber sales. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 authorized enhanced payments to help states and counties fund local services otherwise at risk because of this decline in revenue.

Over the past 10 years, the Forest Service has distributed $2.6 billion through the Secure Rural Schools program. This year, states will receive $238 million for distribution to counties.

Each state’s payment amount is determined by various factors set in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including the number of counties electing to share in a state's payment. The State of Wisconsin will receive $1,506,980.

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