Okanogan County received $2.14 million from the federal government at the end of June as compensation for nontaxable land. While this was $148,000 less than the county received last year, it was still the second-highest payment in the state, after Chelan County’s.
The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) are made to counties with large areas of federal land based on a formula that takes into account population and acreage.
Okanogan County has 1.56 million acres of federal land, 96 percent of it managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The federal land makes up almost half of the county’s total land base, and the county receives no property-tax payments on it.
The June payment was a portion of the $405 million Congressional allocation for the entire country. There will be another, much smaller payment for the October cycle, which is expected to be disbursed early next year, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The approximately 1,900 counties across the country that share the PILT monies will split $37 million for the October installment.
A similar program, known as the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, was reauthorized in April, providing $3 million to the county for roads, schools and fire prevention. Half of that was an overdue payment for last year.
