Tax Policy

Where rural recreation counties rely on public funding for health care, fiscal solutions should diversify the ways local governments can save and spend.

The bipartisan Forest Health for Rural Stability Act would establish a federal land endowment and resolve key challenges of federal land payments to counties.

Analysis shows raising Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) population limits for small-population counties would have increased total payments by $2 million in 2019.

Reforming county payments by establishing a permanent Trust to fund Secure Rural Schools (SRS).

Coal fiscal policies vary widely across the West in terms of how revenue is generated, set aside in permanent savings, or spent by state and local governments.

New analysis and interactive map show how the President’s budget proposal cuts county payments and the impact for every county in the nation.

Unlike most countries and state governments, the U.S. has not created a natural resources trust which could help meet volatility and spending challenges facing local and county governments.

Explore the Socioeconomic Context of the Federal Coal Leasing Program

County governments are compensated for the tax-exempt status of federal public lands within their boundaries. These payments often constitute a significant portion of county and school budgets, particularly in rural counties with extensive public land ownership.

How national wildlife refuge payments–especially important to rural counties–could be reformed and funded.