Welcome to Skagit County

July 26th, 2005

COMMISSIONER TED ANDERSON ELECTED CHAIR OF NACo PUBLIC LANDS STEERING COMMITTEE

SKAGIT COUNTY – Skagit County Commissioner Ted Anderson was recently appointed chair of the Public Lands Steering Committee for the National Association of Counties (NACo) at the organization’s annual convention held this month in Honolulu, Hawaii. “It’s a great honor to continue my leadership role on this committee,” said Anderson. “Skagit County has 538,817 acres of federally owned land, making it essential that we stay actively involved. We received $999,776 in PILT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) funds in 2004 for County roads and our general fund.”
“Through the efforts of NACo, PILT funding has more than doubled since 1995,” said Anderson.
Anderson has been instrumental in lobbying for federal payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) funds over the past several years. These revenues are based on tax-exempt federal lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the National Parks Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and for federal water projects and some military installations. Last year, the United States Department of Interior dispersed a record $226 million to 1,850 counties with tax-exempt federal lands within their boundaries. “We’ve had great support from our state delegation on public land issues and many successes. These revenues are deposited in the general fund to help offset our expenses for jurisdictional responsibilities on federal land,” said Anderson.
Skagit County has received an average of $1.3 million per year for the past six years under Public Law-106.393 from timber receipts under the Secure Rural Schools Act. In 1908, in response to opposition to the creation of the National Forest System in the West, Congress passed a bill creating revenue sharing to offset the effects of removing lands from economic development. The 1908 Act specified that 25 percent of all revenues generated from the management of National Forests would be shared with the counties to support public schools and roads.

Anderson also represents the 14 timber counties in the State of Washington serving on the Washington State Department of Natural Resources State Board.

For further information, contact: Dan Berentson
Communications Director
360-419-3461