U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced yesterday Idaho will receive $30 million via Payments in Lieu of Taxes, a.k.a. PILTfunding, for 2017.
A total of 44 local governments in Idaho will receive the funding. Idaho was a top contender for the money, with more than 60 percent of the state’s land being public.
Secretary Zinke made the announcement Tuesday, saying, "PILT investments often serve as critical support for local communities as they juggle planning and paying for basic services, such as public safety, firefighting, social services and transportation.”
PILT is a 40-year-old federal program providing money to local county governments. This money aims to offset losses in property taxes on nontaxable federal lands. While the money is dispersed across a range of services, PILT payments could be especially beneficial to Idaho’s fire fighting and infrastructure costs.
Nationwide, PILT distributed a total of $464.6 million to approximately 1,900 local governments for 2017. This is the largest amount ever allocated in the program’s history. Zinke says the record-setting sum underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to rural communities.
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