Wyden, Merkley: Oregon Counties to Receive More Than $27 Million in PILT Funds

June 16, 2023

Federal resources for all 36 Oregon counties invest in local firefighters, law enforcement, schools, and road construction

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today that all 36 Oregon counties will receive more than $27 million collectively this year from the federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes program that helps to cover the costs of important local services. 

“This annual federal investment in communities throughout Oregon and nationwide supports quality schools, reliable roads and stable public safety with both firefighting and law enforcement,” Wyden said. “These vital resources are especially crucial for rural Oregonians, and I’ll always work to ensure this lifeline remains robust for our entire state.”

“Rural communities shouldn’t have to wonder if they will have the resources they need to pay for essential services and infrastructure,”?Merkley said.?“This vital federal investment will help ensure Oregonians across the state have reliable access to emergency services and safe infrastructure. I will keep working to protect this federal support for these critical services on a long-term basis—so families across Oregon have the peace of mind they deserve.”? 

Local governments cannot tax federal lands, so annual PILT payments are made for tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Interior Department’s bureaus, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service. PILT payments cover federal lands administered by the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction. 

A full list of funding by state and county is available on the Interior Department’s Payments in Lieu of Taxes page. The county-by-county breakdown in Oregon for distribution of the $27.1 million in PILT funds is as follows: