Thompson Works to Increase Tax Payment to Counties

Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved landmark bipartisan legislation which will increase funding for conservation and recreation. The "Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA)" was approved by a 315 to 102 vote. The legislation now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

"This is truly a historic day for our nation's conservation and recreation programs," said U.S. Representative Don Young (R-Alaska), the Chairman of the House Committee on Resources who sponsored the legislation along with Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), George Miller (D-CA), Billy Tauzin (R-LA), John Dingell (D-MI), Chris John (D-LA) and others. "On a bipartisan basis this Congress has approved one of the most comprehensive conservation bills in decades. I'm hopeful the Senate will continue this bipartisan effort and approve this landmark legislation."

Funding for the important programs under CARA would be derived from a portion of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) revenues. CARA would provide annual dedicated funding in the amount of $900 million for coastal states, such as Mississippi, for coastal conservation and another $900 million in funding for state and federal conservation programs, while protecting the rights of private property owners.

Also, $350 million will go into wildlife conservation and education. This new source of funding will nearly double the Federal funds available for wildlife conservation. In addition, $125 million will be provided to match grants to local governments, such as the Sharkey, Issaquenna and Washington County Board of Supervisors, to rehabilitate recreation areas and facilities and provide for the development of improved recreation programs, sites and facilities.

For historic preservation, $100 million will go to fund programs of the Historic Preservation Act, including grants to the States, maintaining the National Register of Historic Places and administering numerous historic preservation programs. $200 million will go toward funding for a coordinated program on Federal and Indian lands, such as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, to restore degraded lands, protect resources that are threatened with degradation and protect public health and safety. $150 million will go toward providing annual and dedicated funding for conservation easements and funding for landowner incentives to aid in the recovery of endangered and threatened species.

Of special importance, is up to $200 million of the annual interest generated from the CARA Fund will match, dollar for dollar, the amount appropriated during the Congressional Appropriations process for the Payment In Lieu Of Taxes program, or PILT as it is commonly called. The PILT program is considered a major "underfunded mandate" and it is extremely important to over 2,000 public land jurisdictions in 49 states that rely upon the PILT program to provide some equity for the services they provide. The money goes to counties where federal lands, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S.D.A Forest Service, exist.

The PILT program was conceived in 1976 and the appropriated funding level had remained static for many years. Counties have lost significant value from their PILT receipts because of consumer price increases over the last 23 years. PILT funds are used to offset costs incurred by counties for services provided to federal employees and families, and to the users of the public lands. These include items like education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, recreation and other important uses.

In 1995, Congress passed a new authorization for the program, (Public Law 103-379), which essentially increased the authorization ceiling for PILT payments from $105 million to over $300 million, by changing the formula and population ceilings. The authorization is subject to annual appropriations and the pressures of limited availability of resources.

For FY00, Congress appropriated $135 million. This was still short of where funding levels should have been if Congress met authorization appropriation levels, substantially short of the payment were lands taxed at equivalent levels. The authorization funding level for PILT is over $303 million.

The House sponsors, such as Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), should be applauded for recognizing the need to fund the PILT program at reasonable levels. It is important for the federal government to keep a balance between funding for conservation programs and the need to maintain services in support of these conservation and recreation lands.