DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ore. — The Douglas County Board of Commissioners has announced the distribution of more than $3.3 million in federal funding to 14 school districts across the county, providing a significant boost to local education budgets.
The funding comes through the reauthorized Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, commonly known as the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The Fiscal Year 2026 allocation includes supplemental payments to make up for a lapse in funding in 2025, when Congress did not reauthorize the program.
School districts are expected to receive payments within the next week, with the largest share—more than $1.35 million—going to the Roseburg School District. Other allocations range from about $46,500 for Camas Valley to more than $350,000 for South Umpqua.
In total, the distribution amounts to $3,307,362.16.
Commissioner Tim Freeman said the funding is essential for maintaining educational services but emphasized that it reflects a broader issue tied to federal land management.
“We hope this funding supports our local schools in continuing to provide educational opportunities for our children,” Freeman said. “However, it is important to understand that this distribution is required by law and does not replace the long-term need for sustainable timber management on federal lands.”
Douglas County, where more than half of its roughly 5,000 square miles is federally managed, relies heavily on SRS funding due to limited property tax revenue from those lands. Much of the land is overseen by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
County officials say SRS funding supports a wide range of essential services beyond education, including law enforcement, emergency communications, search and rescue operations, veteran and senior services, and infrastructure such as roads and bridges.
The SRS program, created as a temporary replacement for declining timber revenues, continues to provide only a fraction of what counties historically received from timber harvests.
Officials also pointed to recent federal actions aimed at improving long-term funding stability. Changes in the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior Appropriations Bill are expected to restore a higher percentage of timber revenue sharing for Oregon and California Revested Grant Lands, commonly known as O&C lands. In addition, the Department of the Interior has initiated steps to revise land management plans governing approximately 2.5 million acres of these lands in western Oregon.
Douglas County leaders say they remain actively engaged with federal lawmakers, agencies, and national organizations to ensure the county receives its full share of funding and to advocate for more sustainable forest management policies.
More than 700 counties in 40 states receive SRS funding, making it a critical source of revenue for rural communities nationwide.
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