U.S. Department of the Interior announces PILT funding of $644.8 million to be distributed to counties

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.