[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 12 (Tuesday, February 8, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1112]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REAUTHORIZATION OF THE SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS ACT OF 2000

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, today I rise in support of S. 267, to 
reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act of 2000. I cosponsored the original 2000 act because it stabilized 
payments to Montana's timber producing counties.
  In 1905, the establishment of the national forests removed over 150 
million acres in the Western States, including 16 million acres in 
Montana, from future private property ownership. To compensate the 
States and counties for this loss of property tax revenue, Congress 
passed the Twenty-Five Percent Fund Act of 1908. The act provided that 
25 percent of receipts from each national forest would be paid to the 
State and county where the national forest is located for the benefit 
of public schools and public roads. Until the decline of the timber 
harvest program, the 1908 act provided enough funding to the States and 
counties.
  However, beginning in the 1990s both nationally and in Montana, the 
timber harvest program declined over 85 percent and Federal payments to 
State and county governments declined just as significantly. The 
reasons for the declining timber harvest are many; appeals and 
litigation by special interest groups, wildfires destroying valuable 
timber, internal Forest Service redtape, and each of those issues needs 
to be addressed to ensure the Forest Service is meeting its obligation 
to restore healthy forests and the communities that depend on them. 
This act is important because it doesn't punish schools and counties 
when timber harvests are uncertain.
  In 2000, just like in 1908, Congress recognized these States and 
counties needed stability in the 25-percent payments in order to plan 
year to year and provide valuable services. Without the Secure Rural 
Schools Act, in 2004, Montana counties would have received only $6 
million, rather than the $11.7 million provided under the 2000 act. The 
education of nearly 100,000 Montana schoolchildren in 170 school 
districts in 34 counties is affected by these payments.
  Another benefit of the act is the ``full payment'' option. Under this 
option, counties can reserve 15 to 20 percent of the payment for title 
II, Public Land Projects. These project funds are allocated by a 15-
person Resource Advisory Committee, RAC, comprised of tribal members, 
local elected officials, and Federal land user organizations.
  Let me give you some examples of title II projects funded in Lincoln 
County, where the RAC allocated $1.6 million in project work that 
included improving soil and water quality at a ski area; restoration of 
a mile of bull trout and west slope cutthroat stream habitat; and road 
maintenance projects to improve water quality.
  I have talked with county commissioners and other Montanans who are 
RAC members. The RACs have fostered a spirit of cooperation and focus 
on what everyone has in common and encourage stewardship of our 
national forests.
  I can't think of anything better to celebrate the 100-year 
anniversary of our national forests than the reauthorization of the 
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act.

                          ____________________