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Tax Policy

Tax policy creates incentives and disincentives that affect how communities experience population change, resource extraction, and natural disasters. Our research helps local leaders and state and federal policymakers understand the long-term impacts of tax policy decisions.

Local revenue to fund long-term infrastructure costs

Communities need resilient revenue strategies to fund the long-term costs of capital improvements and infrastructure.

Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund.

An oil well on Bureau of Land Management land in New Mexico

Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions.

Fiscal policy is failing rural America

State and federal fiscal policies hurt rural communities by limiting how local governments can grow, diversify, and invest revenue.

Hikers visit Arches National Park in Utah.

The health and fiscal vulnerability of rural recreation counties

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

Commercial receipts earned from management of public lands.

Building a Federal Land Endowment

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

Recent Tax Policy Research

Local revenue to fund long-term infrastructure costs

Communities need resilient revenue strategies to fund the long-term costs of capital improvements and infrastructure.

Diversifying revenue on New Mexico state trust lands

New activities can help guarantee and diversify future revenue from New Mexico state trust lands, complementing the successful Land Grant Permanent Fund.

An oil well on Bureau of Land Management land in New Mexico

Federal Fossil Fuel Disbursements to States

States tend to spend, rather than save, federal fossil fuel disbursements, potentially making them vulnerable to economic transitions.

Flooding in Austin, Minnesota. Photo: Tim Ruzek

How state and local budgets are vulnerable to climate change

Climate change has the potential to destabilize general operating budgets and constrain access to lending markets. These presentations share promising solutions for “climate-proofing” budgets.

Why fiscal policy solutions are necessary

This panel discussion, with examples from Montana and New Mexico, examines how fiscal policies have failed rural communities.

Fiscal policy is failing rural America

State and federal fiscal policies hurt rural communities by limiting how local governments can grow, diversify, and invest revenue.

Hikers visit Arches National Park in Utah.

The health and fiscal vulnerability of rural recreation counties

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

Commercial receipts earned from management of public lands.

Building a Federal Land Endowment

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

Headwaters-staff-Mark-Haggerty

PILT Proposal Would Help Small-Population 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.

Logging Truck, County Payments, endowing federal public land counties

Endowing Federal Public Land Counties

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

See all research under Tax Policy

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