Murphy – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service issued more than $232 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program, which includes Cherokee, Clay, Graham and other western North Carolina counties.
The 2023 distributions showed a slight increase over 2022 payments.
Nantahala National Forest payments totaled $740,468, an average $1.39 per acre. Here is the breakdown in far-western North Carolina:
- Cherokee County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 93,327 acres. It received $157,910, an average payment of $1.69 per acre.
- Clay County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 66,655 acres. It received $94,113, an average payment of $1.41 per acre.
- Graham County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 113,947 acres. It received $180,505, an average payment of $1.58 per acre.
- Jackson County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 77,095 acres. It received $102,788, an average of $1.33 per acre.
- Macon County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 153,264 acres. It received $176,449, an average of $1.15 per acre.
- Swain County’s portion of the Nantahala National Forest totals 23,164 acres. It received $23,315, an average of $1.01 per acre.
Nantahala National Forest receipts in 2023 break down as:
- Timber: $3,745
- Grazing: 0
- Land use: $112,414
- Recreation specific uses: $123,044
- Power: $81,034
- Minerals: $3,656
- Recreation user fees: 0
- Grazing west: 0
- Quartz crystals: 0
Combined with other miscellaneous sources, total receipts were $675,565.
Forest Service payments
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service issued more than $232 million to support public schools, roads and other municipal services through the agency’s Secure Rural Schools program.
Congress periodically allows counties to choose one of two types of payments, with the last opportunity in 2013. The 1908 Act (amended) option pays out 25 percent of gross receipts generated on forest service lands during the fiscal year is distributed.
Payments are to be used to benefit public schools and public roads of the county or counties in which the national forest is situated. The annual payment is made as soon as practical after the end of the fiscal year. The forest service calculates payments and sends letters to the states advising them of the amount and of each county’s percentage of the payment based on the county’s acreage in the national forest.
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The USDA uses 25 percent of a rolling seven-year average.
The other option is Secure Rural Schools Payments, which does not affect counties in western North Carolina. This act provides for the stabilization of payments to the states due to the decline in the timber industry and the associated receipts.
“As the Biden-Harris administration invests in ways for forests to generate more economic opportunity in rural areas, it also aims to support the quality of life in those communities through programs like Secure Rural Schools,” the USDA announced in a release.
The program was reauthorized for fiscal years 2021-23 through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Fiscal year 2023 funds will be paid to 745 eligible counties in 41 states and Puerto Rico.
“National forests and grasslands cover more than 193 million acres, including across rural counties that are important partners in helping sustainably manage resources,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Secure Rural Schools program is able to contribute to the economic vitality and well-being of the communities intertwined with our forests.”
“The Secure Rural Schools program is just one of the ways the Forest Service supports communities nationwide,” Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said. “This funding aids schools and roads, reimburses counties for national forest emergency services and assists in creating community wildfire protection plans – all critical programs designed to enhance the quality of life in these communities.”
In addition to Secure Rural Schools payments, the Forest Service is using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law & Inflation Reduction Act funding to improve forest conditions, support local economies and create jobs by investing in forest restoration projects, road and trail maintenance, recreation opportunities and wood innovation development.
Over the last 10 years, the Forest Service has distributed $2.4 billion through the program.
The Forest Service retains some of the funding 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 the projects that meet their local needs.
History of the program
In the years after the Forest Service was established in 1905, the national forest system tripled in size, growing from 56 million in 1905 to 172 million acres in 1908. To compensate counties for potential losses of tax revenue from this early growth, Congress ratified the Act of May 23, 1908. The act allowed the Forest Service to distribute a portion of agency revenues from timber sales, mineral leases, recreation, grazing and other sources to those states and counties containing national forests and grasslands.
Agency revenues from these activities declined in the late 20th century. In response, Congress passed the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 to help stabilize fiscal support for rural county services. In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reauthorized Secure Rural Schools payments through fiscal year 2023.
Payment amount is determined by various factors established in the law, including the number of counties that elect to share in a state’s payment. Payments to states are distributed after the Forest Service collects revenue to accommodate those counties electing to continue participation in revenue sharing rather than the Secure Rural School payment.