Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT)

Fully funding PILT is the top priority for the Western Counties Alliance. This law providing funding to help counties deal with the loss of tax revenue and the added costs that they must endure because of the presence of federally-owned land within their borders was passed nearly 30 years ago. With the passage of this law, the federal government acknowledges its responsibility to compensate the counties for some of these added costs.

Its performance in funding PILT has not reflected this commitment, however. PILT has never been fully funded. Last year, funding was only about two thirds of the amount authorized by Congress. This year, President Bush requested funding which was more $27 million BELOW the level of the current fiscal year.

This is an unacceptable shirking of its responsibility by the federal government. WCA is working with members of Congress, primarily the Western Caucus, to achieve full funding for PILT.

Fortunately, Congress is acting more responsibly in accepting the federal government’s obligation under PILT. On April 27th, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee restored the cut made by the president and an additional approximately 3 million dollars. This represents only about a 1.2% increase over the current year, not even enough to offset inflation.

WCA thinks this is an unacceptably low amount and will continue to fight for full funding in the upcoming fiscal year. As part of that effort, WCA has worked with the Western Caucus to develop phase in full funding of PILT over three years. This bill, HR 2337, was introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Cubin (WY) and Congressman Chris Cannon (UT) on May 12, 2005

Text of this bill here.

This is an unacceptable shirking of its responsibility by the federal government. WCA is working with members of Congress, primarily the Western Caucus, to achieve full funding for PILT.

Listed below are some links to important documents related to PILT.


Summary of Wyden Amendment PILT / Secure Rural Schools Funding Formulas. Click here.

Letter to President Bush requesting increased PILT funding for FY 2008. Click here.

The WCA “PILT PlEDGE” for candidates for the House and Senate to get them firmly on record in support of additional PILT funding. Click here.

Letter to President Bush requesting a meeting to discuss additional PILT funding in the FY 2007 budget request to Congress. Click here.

Testimony of Maloy Dodds before the House of Representatives Forests and Forest
Health Subcommittee, June 15. 2005. Click here.

Letter to WCA from Western Caucus Chair Chris Cannon giving an update on the status of PILT and urging WCA to help in his efforts to fully fund PILT. Click here.

WCA letter to Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Taylor before subcommittee mark up urging him to fully fund PILT. Click here.

State-by-state and county-by-county breakdown of current PILT payments and payments at full funding. Click here.

Background and Other Resources Related to PILT

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on PILT prepared by the Bureau of Land Management.
• Map Showing federally managed land in the United States. Counties across the country with federal lands are eligible for PILT payments.
• Press release from a bipartisan news conference April 6th kicking off the campaign to fully fund PILT.
• Western Caucus Press release following the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee mark up thanking Chairman Taylor for drastically cutting land acquisition funding and applying some of the savings to restoring the President’s recommended cut.

PILT Legislation endorsed by WCA