02.28.06

Cantwell Reiterates Support for County Payments Program Renewal, Condemns Administration Plan to Curtail Vital Funds

President’s proposal would sell off 300,000 acres of federal forestlands for one-time, inadequate fixCantwell a supporter of bipartisan bill to extend County Payments programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tuesday, in conjunction with a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the Forest Service budget for Fiscal Year 2007, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) criticized a Bush Administration plan to gut funding for rural schools, emergency services, and other vital infrastructure. Instead of funding the successful County Payments program, which supports communities that have traditionally depended on revenue from timber harvests on Forest Service land, the administration’s budget proposal would cut off funding and sell 300,000 acres of federal lands, including 7,500 acres in Washington state, for a temporary, inadequate fix.

“The County Payments program continues a nearly one hundred year old tradition of providing fair and equitable compensation to the citizens of forest counties,” said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Over 700 rural counties nationwide depend on this program to meet their most basic needs. Rather than support this successful program, the president’s short-sighted plan would sell off over 300,000 acres of public land to fund less than 50 percent of the County Payments program for only 5 years. That is simply not good enough. Our rural communities deserve better.”

The County Payments program has proven essential to communities in Washington state. Without this vital safety net, rural counties across Washington will lose more than $40 million dollars in irreplaceable funding each year. Skamania County in Southwest Washington, for example, is almost 80 percent National Forest land, which non-taxable by the county. However, the County Payments program enables places like Skamania to provide critical public services such as education, emergency response, and road maintenance. Many other Washington state counties face a similar situation.

“The Bush Administration wants to eliminate a proven, balanced initiative in favor of a public lands fire sale,” said Cantwell. “Washington’s rural communities need our support and want the County Payments program extended. I will keep fighting on their behalf.”

Since 2001, the county payments program has provided some $2 billion for schools and roads in communities in Washington and other states that have lost timber income due to changes in federal forest policies. Cantwell has fought for full funding of the program, and has joined Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to support Senate Bill 267, which would reauthorize the County Payments program to continue providing much needed funds to rural communities across the Northwest.

The president’s budget proposal calls for the sale of:

  • 1,300 acres on the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
  • 3,500 acres on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest
  • 1,900 acres on the Colville National Forest
  • 640 acres on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area + Smaller parcels on both the Olympic and Gifford Pinchot National Forests

###