Senators Encourage Passage of Payments in Lieu of Taxes and Land and Water Conservation Fund

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) joined 19 of their colleagues as signatories on a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee encouraging them to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) alongside the Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs. 

The Federal PILT program provides payments to California counties to offset losses in tax revenues due to the presence of tax-exempt federal land within their jurisdiction.  Counties use Federal PILT Funding to provide critical public safety and emergency medical services, among others.  As with LWCF, the Federal PILT program is scheduled to sunset on September 30, 2015.  RCRC will increase advocacy efforts for enactment of a long-term reauthorization of Federal PILT when Congress returns from August recess.  Earlier this year, 28 RCRC member counties passed local resolutions urging Congress to pass a long-term reauthorization of the Federal PILT program.