Oregon — The U.S. Forest Service announced it will distribute $248 million in Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments for fiscal year 2025, providing funding to counties and states with national forest lands.
According to the agency, the funding supports public schools, road maintenance, wildfire preparedness, and other essential services in rural communities. Payments are allocated through multiple categories, including Title I for schools and roads, Title III for county projects, and allocations under the 1908 Act.
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the payments reflect ongoing partnerships with communities near national forests, emphasizing investments in infrastructure, forest management, and wildfire resilience efforts.
The program also funds Firewise Communities initiatives, reimburses counties for emergency services performed on federal lands, and supports development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans aimed at improving coordination during wildfire response.
The Secure Rural Schools program was established in 2000 after declining timber revenues reduced traditional payments to rural counties. Historically, counties received 25% of Forest Service revenues from activities such as timber sales, grazing, and recreation fees.
Over the past decade, the Forest Service has distributed approximately $2.4 billion through the program, supporting more than 700 counties nationwide and in Puerto Rico.
In Oregon, U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that nearly $48.7 million from the 2025 allocation will go to counties across the state, following recent bipartisan reauthorization of the SRS program. That funding comes in addition to roughly $49 million in retroactive payments for fiscal year 2024.
Additional payments for Oregon counties are expected when the Bureau of Land Management announces its separate allocations later this year.
Payments are divided into three distinct categories, or Titles: Title I for roads and schools, Title II for projects on Federal lands, and Title III for county projects.
| County | Population | Base ($) | Title I | Title II | Title III | Combined ($) | Combined % of OR Total | Per Capita ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker | 16,800 | 922,571 | 784,186 | 73,806 | 64,580 | 922,571 | 1.73% | 54.91 |
| Benton | 97,000 | 132,677 | 112,775 | 19,902 | 0 | 132,677 | 0.25% | 1.37 |
| Clackamas | 430,000 | 1,159,824 | 985,851 | 92,786 | 81,188 | 1,159,824 | 2.18% | 2.70 |
| Crook | 26,000 | 1,195,037 | 1,015,782 | 95,603 | 83,653 | 1,195,037 | 2.25% | 45.96 |
| Curry | 23,000 | 1,839,049 | 1,563,192 | 147,124 | 128,733 | 1,839,049 | 3.46% | 79.96 |
| Deschutes | 205,000 | 962,352 | 808,376 | 86,612 | 67,365 | 962,352 | 1.81% | 4.70 |
| Douglas | 112,000 | 7,705,261 | 6,549,472 | 616,421 | 539,368 | 7,705,261 | 14.49% | 68.80 |
| Grant | 7,200 | 4,077,101 | 3,465,536 | 326,168 | 285,397 | 4,077,101 | 7.66% | 566.26 |
| Harney | 7,500 | 1,632,885 | 1,387,952 | 244,933 | 0 | 1,632,885 | 3.07% | 217.72 |
| Hood River | 24,500 | 597,632 | 507,988 | 47,811 | 41,834 | 597,632 | 1.12% | 24.39 |
| Jackson | 225,000 | 1,667,061 | 1,417,002 | 133,365 | 116,694 | 1,667,061 | 3.13% | 7.41 |
| Jefferson | 26,500 | 501,144 | 425,973 | 40,092 | 35,080 | 501,144 | 0.94% | 18.91 |
| Josephine | 89,000 | 1,205,564 | 1,024,729 | 96,445 | 84,389 | 1,205,564 | 2.27% | 13.55 |
| Klamath | 70,000 | 7,017,931 | 5,965,242 | 561,435 | 491,255 | 7,017,931 | 13.19% | 100.26 |
| Lake | 8,200 | 2,871,954 | 2,441,161 | 344,634 | 86,159 | 2,871,954 | 5.40% | 350.24 |
| Lane | 385,000 | 8,486,822 | 7,213,799 | 678,946 | 594,078 | 8,486,822 | 15.95% | 22.04 |
| Lincoln | 51,000 | 1,412,796 | 1,200,876 | 113,024 | 98,896 | 1,412,796 | 2.66% | 27.70 |
| Linn | 130,000 | 3,318,422 | 2,820,659 | 265,474 | 232,290 | 3,318,422 | 6.24% | 25.53 |
| Malheur | 31,000 | 10,388 | 10,388 | 0 | 0 | 10,388 | 0.02% | 0.34 |
| Marion | 345,000 | 1,262,519 | 1,073,141 | 101,002 | 88,376 | 1,262,519 | 2.37% | 3.66 |
| Morrow | 12,500 | 205,167 | 174,392 | 24,620 | 6,155 | 205,167 | 0.39% | 16.41 |
| Multnomah | 815,000 | 194,268 | 165,128 | 15,541 | 13,599 | 194,268 | 0.37% | 0.24 |
| Polk | 87,000 | 4,019 | 3,416 | 321 | 281 | 4,019 | ~0.01% | 0.05 |
| Tillamook | 27,500 | 689,483 | 586,060 | 55,159 | 48,264 | 689,483 | 1.30% | 25.07 |
| Umatilla | 82,000 | 652,999 | 555,050 | 52,240 | 45,710 | 652,999 | 1.23% | 7.96 |
| Union | 27,000 | 835,094 | 709,830 | 66,808 | 58,457 | 835,094 | 1.57% | 30.93 |
| Wallowa | 7,600 | 959,069 | 815,208 | 76,725 | 67,135 | 959,069 | 1.80% | 126.19 |
| Wasco | 27,000 | 904,994 | 769,245 | 117,649 | 18,100 | 904,994 | 1.70% | 33.52 |
| Washington | 610,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.00 |
| Wheeler | 1,500 | 572,366 | 486,511 | 45,789 | 40,066 | 572,366 | 1.08% | 381.58 |
| Yamhill | 112,000 | 195,555 | 166,222 | 29,333 | 0 | 195,555 | 0.37% | 1.75 |
| Totals | ~4,300,000 | 53,192,005 | 45,205,139 | 4,569,766 | 3,417,100 | 53,192,005 | 100% | 12.37 (avg) |
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