The U.S. Forest Service has distributed more than $307 million to 41 states and Puerto Rico for public schools and roads and specific county programs.

"The annual revenue sharing payments are part of the Department of Agriculture's long-standing commitment to rural communities, schools and American youth," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Our century-long support of America's public schools and roads is one of many ways in which the Forest Service, as a good neighbor and partner, contributes to rural communities becoming self-sustaining and prosperous."

Oregon received the most money of any state, $64,259,824, with California, in second place, receiving approximately $39,325,918, with $594,214.26 of that going to Lake County, the Forest Service reported.

The Mendocino National Forest brought a total of $2.3 million to the seven counties that it stretches across, with Lake receiving the largest amount.

Other counties sharing in payments from the Mendocino National Forest include Tehama,  $462,927.39; Glenn, $430,115.85; Mendocino, $414,257.60; Trinity, $248,569.52; Colusa, $151,060.80; and Tehama, $869.13.

Since 1908, 25 percent of Forest Service revenues from timber sales, mineral leases, recreation, grazing and other sources have been shared with states and counties in which national forest lands are located.

In the 1980s, Forest Service revenues began to decline, largely as a result of changes in social values and diminished timber sales volume.

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 authorized enhanced and gradually declining payments to ease the transition to reduced federal revenues. Counties received more than $2.5 billion over seven years until the Act expired in September 2007.

In 2008, the Congress extended the program four more years, through 2011.

This new distribution marks final payments under the extended Act. The four years of payments will total $1.5 billion of support to rural schools and roads and $87 million paid to counties for wildfire preparedness and to reimburse counties for emergency services provided on national forests.

In addition to payments for schools and roads, the Secure Rural Schools Act supports Firewise Communities programs, reimburses counties for emergency services on national forests and funds development of community wildfire protection plans.

“These projects were reviewed and recommended by resource advisory committees made up of local residents working together to improve the environment and help provide jobs in rural communities,” Vilsack said.

Since 2008, across the country, 118 resource advisory committees recommended 4,100 projects valued at more than $172 million in more than 300 counties.

2011 Forest Service payments to states

Alabama $1,901,060
Alaska $15,551,811
Arizona $13,289,827
Arkansas $7,153,250
California $39,325,918
Colorado $13,955,904
Florida $2,424,878
Georgia $1,534,435
Idaho $27,404,336
Illinois $92,150
Indiana $282,223
Kentucky $1,862,267
Louisiana $1,716,772
Maine $76,634
Michigan $3,790,134
Minnesota $8,775,741
Mississippi $6,147,508
Missouri $3,438,634
Montana $20,486,737
Nebraska $248,916
Nevada $4,534,786
New Hampshire $563,763
New Mexico $11,823,591
New York $22,734
North Carolina $1,897,848
North Dakota $589
Ohio $277,619
Oklahoma $983,612
Oregon $64,259,824
Pennsylvania $3,451,714
Puerto Rico $159,100
South Carolina $1,868,282
South Dakota $1,834,152
Tennessee $1,267,614
Texas $2,261,484
Utah $11,141,393
Vermont $339,626
Virginia $1,731,853
Washington $21,298,322
West Virginia $1,863,052
Wisconsin $2,112,581
Wyoming $4,469,293
Total $307,621,969

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