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As Congress returns after the elections, counties are calling on Congress to immediately address PILT funding during the lame duck session. Today, the National Association of Counties (NACo) issued a press statement calling on Congress fund PILT.
Recap of Current Status
* FY 2015 Appropriations: With the Current Continuing resolution (CR) funding the federal government set to expire mid-December, appropriators in both chambers are working on a path forward. It is unclear at this point whether they will be able to negotiate and pass a final FY 2015 appropriations package with an omnibus appropriations measure (which combines all or several appropriations bills into one package) or whether they will have to pass another Continuing Resolution (at current funding levels), or a combination of the two. The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies included a one year extension of mandatory, full funding for PILT when it marked up its FY 2015 bill. The Senate subcommittee has not marked up its bill, but did release a chairman’s draft – which does not include any provision for PILT.
* Other Funding Vehicles: Staff for Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) continue to work on a draft measure that would be a one-year extension of mandatory, full funding for PILT and the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act (SRS) as well as the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This would first need to be formally introduced and then attached to another moving legislative vehicle.
* Note on the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Program: On September 20, 2013, the House passed a NACo supported measure, H.R. 1526, The Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, (with a bipartisan vote of 244-173) which encourages active forest management to improve forest health and community stability as well as provides an extension of SRS funding. This measure will be marked up tomorrow (November 13) in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. NACo is calling on the committee to send H.R. 1526 to the full Senate.
Path Forward/Next Steps
While the path forward on the one-year Wyden measure is unclear (from both a timing and support perspective), it is also important to not lose sight of the FY 2015 appropriations process as a funding option. At this stage of the process, counties need to keep pressure on Congress to fund PILT and SRS.
Action Needed
1. MESSAGE: Urge your Senators and Representatives to make a one year extension of PILT and SRS a priority in the lame duck session.
2. If your Member of Congress is in the leadership or serves on the House or Senate Appropriations Committee and specifically the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, urge them to include the House provision for PILT in a final appropriations measure.
3. Issue a press statement urging Congress to immediately fund PILT. Here is a sample press release: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kdSMwucZko8AWBMl2MiYi3cgtiuEKlPvSE9Z...
U.S. Senate Leadership
State Member Phone
NV Majority Leader
Sen. Harry Reid 202.224.3542
KY Minority Leader
Sen. Mitch McConnell 202.224.2541
U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on
Interior, Environment and Related Agencies
State Member Phone
RI Chairman
Sen. Jack Reed (D) 202.224.4642
AK Ranking Member
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) 202.224.6665
AK Sen. Mark Begich (D) 202.224.3004
CA Sen. Diane Feinstein (D) 202.224.3841
MS Sen. Thad Cochran (R) 202.224.5054
MO Sen. Roy Blunt (R) 202.224.5054
MT Sen. Jon Tester (D) 202.224.2644
NE Sen. Mike Johanns (R) 202.224.4224
NM Sen. Tom Udall (D) 202.224.6621
OR Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) 202.224.3753
SD Sen. John Hoeven (R) 202.224.2551
SD Sen. Tim Johnson (D) 202.224.2644
TN Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) 202.224.4944
VT Sen. Patrick Leahy (D) 202.224.4242
U.S. House Leadership
State Member Phone
OH-8 Speaker
Rep. John Boehner (R) 202.225.6205
CA-12 Minority Leader
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) 202.225.4965
U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior
State Member Phone
CA-42 Chairman
Rep. Ken Calvert (R) 202.225.1986
VA-8 Ranking Member
Rep. Jim Moran (D) 202.225.4376
ID-2 Vice Ranking Member
Rep. Mike Simpson (D) 202.225.5531
CA-21 Rep. David Valadao (R) 202.225.4695
ME-1 Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) 202.225.6116
MN-4 Rep. Betty McCollum (D) 202.225.6631
NY-15 Rep. Jose Serrano (D) 202.225.4361
OH-14 Rep. David Joyce (R) 202.225.5731
OK-4 Rep. Tom Cole (R) 202.225.6165
UT-2 Rep. Chris Stewart (R) 202.225.9730
WA-3 Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R) 202.225.3536
Visit NACo's PILT Action Center (http://www.naco.org/legislation/Pages/PILT.aspx)
In conjunction with the Fly-In, NACo has launched a comprehensive PILT Action Center to assist county leaders in advocating for full funding for this priority program. In this information hub, you will find the following:
* New Individual County PILT Profiles: these one-page profiles convey the importance of the PILT program to
counties across America by providing graphics and statistics that show the amount of PILT funding received by
each county that receives at least $10,000 in funding, as well as the percentage of federal land in that county, and
other pertinent information.
* Draft Letter to Congress on PILT: NACo has prepared a draft letter that county leaders can use to stress to
Congress the importance of the PILT program and its full funding in FY 2015.
* Sample Op-Ed on PILT: NACo Public Lands Chair Ron Walter, Commission Chair, Chelan County, Wash., has
published an op-ed in The Hill on the importance of the services counties provide on federal lands, and in turn,
the importance of PILT to county governments. NACo members are encouraged to submit similar op-eds to their
local newspapers.
* Other NACo Resources: NACo has also prepared a presentation that provides a comprehensive overview of the
PILT program, as well as a policy briefing fact sheet on PILT.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact NACo's Deputy Legislative Director Paul Beddoe at pbeddoe@naco.org or 202.942.4234.
Stay up-to-date on current NACo issues and legislative priorities, visit www.naco.org and be a part of our social media network.