U.S. Department of the Interior announces PILT funding of $644.8 million to be distributed to counties
Author
Zeke Lee
Joe Jackson
Upcoming Events
Related News
Key Takeaways
On June 24, the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced that over 1,900 state and local governments nationwide will receive $644.8 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes program (PILT) funding for 2025. A complete list of funding by state and county is available here. You can also check NACo’s County Explorer for detailed county-by-county information on 2024 PILT funding levels.
The PILT payment funding levels increased by $23.6 million compared to 2024. These payments may vary because of:
- Annual updates in acreage data by the federal agency administering the land
- Annual reports by each state’s governor on prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments
- Inflationary adjustments using the Consumer Price Index and population data which are updated through the U.S. Census Bureau
- The expiration of the Secure Rural Schools Program, which provides revenue sharing payments to federally forested counties
NACo’s Advocacy Efforts
NACo’s longstanding advocacy efforts for full PILT funding ensure counties see these payments yearly. NACo is currently working with federal partners in Congress to preserve full funding for the PILT program and incorporate critical amendments to the funding formula in the FY26 Interior appropriations bill.
Related Federal Payment-in-Lieu Programs
Secure Rural Schools (SRS) is a key policy priority for NACo. These payments are similar to PILT, but they come from the lack of timber receipts from federally-managed forests rather than property taxes. On April 11, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service began distributing funds in place of SRS payments due to the lapse in the program’s reauthorization. While the Senate passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 unanimously, NACo continues to work with congressional partners to secure the passage of SRS reauthorization through any possible legislative vehicle.
Resource
Primer for Counties: Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) Programs
Related News
Congress begins reauthorization process for Great American Outdoors Act
On June 10, the leaders of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources introduced the Great American Outdoors 250 Act, which would reauthorize programs stood up in the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to invest in recreation facilities on public lands. Led by Natural Resources Chair Burce Westerman (R-Ark.) and Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the bipartisan proposal would provide $1.9 billion annually to tackle deferred maintenance projects.
U.S. Department of Agriculture announces reorganization
On July 24, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced a major reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that will relocate thousands of federal employees, restructure regional offices and consolidate administrative services and operations. The changes are expected to reduce USDA’s footprint in Washington, D.C. and shift more personnel to regional hubs across the country.
House Appropriations Committee releases draft funding bills for public lands and environment programs
On May 20, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee began consideration of the fiscal year (FY) 2027 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies appropriations bill, which funds key environment and public lands programs at the Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The bill provides agency and program funding levels and sets policy goals for the agencies for FY 2027.