Safety net final check sent county
From our weekly issue dated November 14, 2007
A final payment to Josephine County has been received, for a total of slightly more than $14 million during 2007 under the Secure Rural Schools & Community Self-Determination Act, said Bureau of Land Management.
BLM has paid a total of more than $110 million each year to the 18 Oregon counties included under the act, aka the “safety net.”
It provided funding for counties to replace revenue that had come under the Oregon & California Lands Act of 1937. Payments were based on counties receiving 50 percent of timber receipts from harvests on federal land. Reduced harvesting has cut the income for supporting county operations under its general fund, and other activities.
The county criminal justice system, including the sheriff’s office, plus areas including public libraries, have been affected.
The Secure Schools Act was to expire in June this year. But extending payments for a year was granted by Congress and President Bush in May.
Meanwhile, the board of county commissioners is split on a BLM draft plan regarding timber harvesting. Commission Chairman Jim Raffenburg and Commissioner Dwight Ellis have voted in favor of supporting BLM’s preferred alternative. Commissioner Dave Toler supports a different approach.
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The plan he backs could reduce timber industry employment by approximately 516 workers. It would result in some $69 million in payments annually to counties overall. Toler would like to see a reduction in timber sales to some 400 million board feet (mbf).
The alternative espoused by Raffenburg and Ellis would increase timber employment statewide to more than 12,000. It’s at nearly 9,000 now.
The plan, according to BLM, could result in some $108 million per year for the 18 counties. It would result in the sale of approximately 727 mbf.
Determining the future of the county’s finances and operations is a major topic for county commissioners.
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The county commissioners will not meet Wednesday, Nov. 14 in Grants Pass, as they are in Albany at a meeting. The county board is scheduled to meet next on Wednesday, Nov. 21. The time has been changed to 9 a.m., rather than 6 p.m.
