Schools rely on continued subsidy from forest lands 

As forest lands were protected from development during the 20th century, Congress approved legislation to supplement funding to counties and schools to make up for income lost by constraining the timber industry.

In 2000, Congress passed and President Bill Clinton signed PL 106-393, the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act. More than 4,400 rural schools nationwide receive PL 106-393 Title I Funds. The law expires in 2006, and many school districts in California – including San Diego and Orange counties, which also encompass forest lands – stand to lose a significant amount of revenue if the law is not reauthorized. California receives more than $28 million under the Act.

“Rural districts especially stand to lose literally millions of federal ‘foresting’ dollars if this act is not reauthorized,” emphasized CSBA Executive Director Scott P. Plotkin. “Coupled with declining enrollments, the loss of these federal dollars would decimate their budgets even further during an especially difficult budget time for the state.”

During the Federal Relations Network in Washington, D.C., CSBA led a delegation to urge Congress to take the following actions:

• Reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self-Determination Act to ensure that counties and schools continue to receive those funds.
• CSBA recommends including full cost-of-living adjustments for funds allocated under the program.
• CSBA recommends creating incentives to promote partnerships between local governments and community-based organizations with respect to federal land management, and encourages local entities to participate in the development of state and federal laws that could impact local communities.

In early February, Rep. Richard W. Pombo of California, chair of the House Resources Committee, joined Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, chair of the House Agriculture Committee and others in introducing H.R. 517 to reauthorize the Act until 2013.