BATTLE MOUNTAIN - Lander County would continue to receive federal funding for its public schools, law enforcement programs and other essential services, under a bipartisan congressional agreement unveiled last week.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that the County Payments Reauthorization Act of 2011 would fund the Secure Rural Schools and Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs for five more years.
Both programs reimburse rural counties where tax-exempt federal government agencies manage substantial tracts of land.
Yet until congressional leaders ironed out the details of the reauthorization bill, funding for the two programs appeared to be in jeopardy.
The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act officially expired last month, and the PILT program was set to lapse at the end of the federal government's 2012 fiscal year.
Under the new bill, though, more than 700 counties with U.S. Forest Service lands inside their borders would receive over $1.5 billion for public schools, road improvement projects and programs to reduce the risk of wildfires, among other things.
The bill would also guarantee full PILT funding to over 1,900 counties, giving a substantial boost to rural Nevada, in particular.
In 2011, for instance, the state's counties received just under $23 million in PILT funding, with $814,050 filling Lander County's coffers.
Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement that both programs ensure that the state's rural communities receive their fair share of money to pay for essential services.
"For too long, Nevada counties did not receive the funding they deserve," he said. "Some in Washington were willing to let counties in Nevada and across the country take a big hit without these crucial resources. As our economy continues to recover, we must support our county schools and community services in rural areas."
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