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USDA Announces Rural Schools Payments

[/title][fusion_text]Friday, March 18th 2016

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the investment of more than $272 million will go to 41 states and Puerto Rico this year in support of local schools, roads and forests through the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (SRS). The SRS is administered by the U.S. Forest Service. he payments from the Forest Service may be used to support public schools and roads; to help maintain and improve the health of forests; and for other county needs like implementation of “Firewise Communities” projects, development of community wildfire protection plans and reimbursements for emergency services on national forests. Forest projects are reviewed and recommended by resource advisory committees made up of local residents working together to improve the environment and to help provide jobs in rural communities. The Secure Rural Schools local resource advisory committees (RACs) provide the public with opportunities to collaborate on the management of national forests and grasslands. This year almost $27 million of the SRS funding will be used to complete conservation projects on federal lands proposed by the local RACs. SRS increases educational opportunities and contributes to local economies through the jobs for implementation of local projects and the increased recreational opportunities that those projects support. Each state’s payment amount is determined by a number of factors set in the law, including the number of counties electing to share in that State’s payment. A breakdown of funding by state and county is available on the U.S. Forest Service SRS website.

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