Sen. Wyden pleads for ‘noise’ on Secure Rural Schools renewal

In a year when Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) would rather be celebrating the silver anniversary of legislation he championed, he’s instead fighting for a sliver of recognition for it.

The Secure Rural Schools Act (SRS), which compensates more than 700 counties to backfill revenue in place of declining proceeds from timber sales on federal land, has remained unauthorized for a year, putting 2025 payments and the recipient counties’ budgets at risk. He told NACo’s General Session audience March 4 that reauthorizing the program, which he sponsored in 2000, would require full-throated support across all levels of government, because it’s otherwise been crowded out by other legislative news.

“We are in perilous waters with respect to secure rural schools, keeping this program,” he said, seeing a paltry reply when he asked the audience if their local media had carried SRS stories. “We’re just not getting the word out, folks. We’re just not getting the word out.”

SRS reauthorization, which passed the Senate in 2024 but stalled in the House, is one of NACo’s top 10 legislative priorities for 2025. Authorization for the program previously lapsed in 2016, which led to an 80% decrease in payments to forested counties. 

The program supplements funding for school operations, road maintenance and other county projects. Wyden noted that the loss of SRS funding could result in some schools cutting two days of in-classroom time per week. The program paid out $232 million in 2024.

“We need every member of Congress, every state legislator, we need every City Council or county people, we need to have them weigh in,” he said. “Talk to federal people. If you go home, talk to your governor. Talk to your state legislators. Talk to your local people. Ask people to put on rallies, write letters to the editor. Do everything you possibly can. 

“I don’t want to see secure rural schools die through inaction.”