NACO endorses farm bill
January 28, 2014 | 01:17 PM
The National Association of Counties endorsed the farm bill today, citing its provision to extend the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for counties surrounded by federal lands and rural development provisions.
“PILT payments allow local governments, including 1,850 counties in 49 states, to provide critical government services for residents such as education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, health care, environmental compliance, firefighting and parks and recreation,” NACO said in a news release.
NACO listed the following elements in the farm bill as key to its support:
NACO also noted that the conference report allows the Agriculture Department to prioritize 10 percent of funds towards regional, multi-jurisdictional projects, and preserves the Environmental Protection Agency’s long-standing policy regulating stormwater runoff from forest and logging roads under the states’ best management practices, rather than through the Clean Water Act’s industrial stormwater permit program, which has tighter and more restrictive requirements than general stormwater permits.
“This is a huge win for counties who own and manage 44 percent of the nation’s roads and highways,” NACO said. “A number of county-owned roads run through federal, state and private lands. Many of these roads are multipurpose and not solely dedicated to logging — and are used by residents, recreators, emergency responders and wildfire teams.”
“PILT payments allow local governments, including 1,850 counties in 49 states, to provide critical government services for residents such as education, solid waste disposal, law enforcement, search and rescue, health care, environmental compliance, firefighting and parks and recreation,” NACO said in a news release.
NACO listed the following elements in the farm bill as key to its support:
- The Payment In Lieu of Taxes program is extended as a fully funded, mandatory entitlement program at $425 million. PILT has retained full mandatory funding since FY 2008, with funding levels of $393 million FY2012 and $401 million (after sequestration) in FY 2013.
- The Rural Development title receives $228 million in mandatory funding including: $150 million for water and waste water program, $63 million for the value-added producer grant program, $15 million for the rural microenterprise assistance program, $100 million for the beginning farmer and rancher development program
NACO also noted that the conference report allows the Agriculture Department to prioritize 10 percent of funds towards regional, multi-jurisdictional projects, and preserves the Environmental Protection Agency’s long-standing policy regulating stormwater runoff from forest and logging roads under the states’ best management practices, rather than through the Clean Water Act’s industrial stormwater permit program, which has tighter and more restrictive requirements than general stormwater permits.
“This is a huge win for counties who own and manage 44 percent of the nation’s roads and highways,” NACO said. “A number of county-owned roads run through federal, state and private lands. Many of these roads are multipurpose and not solely dedicated to logging — and are used by residents, recreators, emergency responders and wildfire teams.”
