[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 111 (Thursday, July 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1493]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008

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                               speech of

                      HON. CATHY McMORRIS RODGERS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2007

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2643) making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
     environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:

  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Chairman, I wish to voice my support for a 
very important program to Eastern Washington, the Payment in Lieu of 
Taxes (PILT) program.
  The PILT program is essential for the livelihood of our rural 
communities in Eastern Washington. Ferry County is 86 percent publicly 
owned. The PILT funding that Ferry County receives accounts for nearly 
two thirds of their budget to provide essential services.
  The government owns 73 percent of Okanogan County. More impressive is 
the amount of land owned by the public--over one and a half million 
acres. According to the Okanogan County Assessor, the loss in property 
taxes amounts to more than $4.5 million every year. That's a loss of 
funding for police, search and rescue, and emergency management.
  I could continue to list additional examples since all 12 counties I 
represent receive funding from this program, but I want to describe the 
importance from someone who is on the ground and impacted by these 
decisions, Stevens County Treasurer Sue Harnasch.
  She wrote, ``The Federal Government has long recognized and accepted 
that Federal land holdings are a burden on local governments and that 
funding is necessary to provide services needed to access and use those 
lands. County taxpayers have been left to fend for themselves, 
subsidizing public services on Federal land with local property 
taxes.''
  Let's stop placing the burden on local communities and start keeping 
our promise.

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