Sens. Allard, Salazar Pass Amendment to Fully Fund PILT/Sends Message Senate Supportive of Program

Washington, D.C. – As the Senate continued deliberation of the FY 07 budget resolution today, United States Senators Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Ken Salazar (D-CO) offered an amendment to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program at $350 million. The amendment passed today by unanimous consent. Last year, Salazar offered the same amendment and was successful in passing the added funding out of the Senate.

Created in 1976, PILT compensates local government for the presence of non-taxable federal lands within their boundaries as well as the associated costs of providing services such as road work and law enforcement to visitors of these public lands.

“By increasing PILT we are making the Federal Government live up to its responsibilities to Rural America,” said Senator Allard. “This money provides critical funding that goes to vital infrastructure like search and rescue, education and law enforcement. I have been, and will continue to be, a strong advocate of increasing PILT.”

Senator Salazar spoke on the floor in support of his amendment, “Rural America is withering on the vine, and I will continue to come to this floor and sound the alarm about the plight of rural America. Rural America is the steward of the majority of our public lands. And it deserves support in that effort. That’s where PILT comes in.

“I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this modest, common-sense amendment. When I travel through Colorado’s 64 counties, I hear the voices of proud, hard-working rural Americans who feel neglected by Washington. Let’s take an opportunity in the Budget Resolution to send a different signal than the one they have been getting.”

Full PILT funding for FY 2007 will likely be close to $350 million. But the President’s Budget Request for PILT was $198 million - representing a cut amounting to $38 million (16%). In 2005, this program provided approximately $17 million to 57 counties in Colorado. Nationwide PILT funding went out to local governments in 49 states to compensate for the presence of non-taxable federal lands within their boundaries as well as the associated costs of providing services such as road work and law enforcement to visitors of these public lands.

The amendment is paid for by reducing administrative spending across federal agencies.