Idaho’s local governments are set to receive $42.9 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2025, as announced by U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Republicans from Idaho. This funding will be distributed among 44 local governments across the state.
The PILT program compensates local governments for the inability to tax federal lands within their jurisdictions. These funds are crucial for maintaining community services such as firefighting, police protection, public school construction, road maintenance, and search-and-rescue operations.
Senator Crapo emphasized the importance of these payments: “Where the federal government owns large plots of land and does not pay local property taxes in rural communities, it has a responsibility to provide resources for vital services such as firefighting, police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations.” He added that PILT payments offer stability for essential services in Idaho’s counties.
Senator Risch also highlighted the reliance on PILT payments: “Each of Idaho’s 44 counties rely on PILT payments to maintain and provide essential community services.” He reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring continued funding for this program.
Both senators have consistently supported the long-term sustainability of the PILT program. The U.S. Department of Interior generates over $20.7 billion annually from commercial activities on public lands. A portion is shared with states and counties while the remainder supports various federal activities, including PILT funding.
The allocation of these payments depends on factors like the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and its population size.
A detailed list showing how funds are distributed by state and county is available online.
