(Note: The very monies that Gibbons suggests paying PILT with, comes right straight from the taxpayers' pockets! It's a lose-lose situation, until the federal land is returned to private citizens. This is the collateral damage that is wrought by an ever-increasing amount of land coming off the tax rolls. In Ohio and many other states, USFWS falls far short in its PILT payments -- over a 25-year study period -- paying as little as 53% in some years. This bodes ill for emergency services, road repairs, schools, etc.)

February 27, 2003

Contact: Amy Spanbauer

202-225-6155

Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Jim Gibbons (R-Nev.), Vice Chairman of the House Resources Committee, today joined with Congressman Scott McInnis (R-Colo.) and several House colleagues in introducing the PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing Permanent Funding Act.

The PILT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) Program was established in 1976 to offset the costs of critical local services incurred by counties with substantial acreage of federally managed land.

PILT payments have persistently fallen substantially short of the amount owed to Nevada and rural counties nationwide.

"Unfortunately, Nevada has been shortchanged by the federal government for years under the PILT program," stated Gibbons.

"PILT has never been funded to a level which would adequately compensate the revenue shortfalls of Nevada's counties -- some of which are over 90 percent owned and managed by the federal government, leaving them no ability to gain revenue from local taxes."

"This shortfall affects our counties' ability to provide necessary services, such as law enforcement, hospital care, school facilities, and other infrastructure needs," Gibbons continued. "This legislation will, once and for all, fund the PILT program fully every year. Congress should see to it that the federal government pays the payment in lieu of taxes it owes before making choices between discretionary spending programs."

"Rural America relies on these programs to produce dollars for everything from roads to schools and social services," McInnis added. "When Congress shortchanges PILT and the Refuge Revenue program, rural Americans suffer."

The PILT program assists rural counties made-up of federal lands and therefore, not subject to a county property tax. PILT helps to fill in the gap for the missing revenue and allows counties to provide essential services such as fire suppression, law enforcement, emergency medical treatment, and education.

Currently, PILT is funded through a line item appropriation every year, which historically has fallen well below the amount authorized or necessary. The PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing Permanent Funding Act introduced today would mandate that both PILT and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Refuge Revenue Sharing Program be funded at their fully authorized amounts, as determined every year by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

http://www.nwra.org