Courtesy Six Rivers National Forest

Half a million in federal dollars is available for projects in Del Norte County that “benefit Six Rivers National Forest resources.”

The money comes from Title II of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. It’s part of a pot of funding that the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors and other representatives of rural communities has been trying to keep Congress from cutting, according to District 3 representative Chris Howard.

“Some years it’s on the chopping block and this is one of those years it was really battled for,” Howard told the Wild Rivers Outpost last week.

Six Rivers National Forest has $500,000 in SRS Title II dollars for projects within Del Norte County. Officials are seeking project proposals through May 31 that create employment opportunities and improve existing infrastructure maintenance.

Project proposals should also enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve land and water quality, according to a May 1 news release.

These projects could take place on federal or non-federal land provided they benefit Six Rivers National Forest resources
The Del Norte Resource Advisory Committee will review the proposals and select top candidates for Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Ted McArthur who will make the final decision.

The Secure Rural Schools program provides funding for schools, roads and other services across 700 counties in the United States and Puerto Rico. Title I SRS dollars goes to roads and schools; Title II dollars are for projects on federal lands and Title III moneys are for county projects, according to the news release.

Those seeking Title II SRS dollars are urged to contact Donna Peppin or Ben Littlefield, who work with the Del Norte County Resource Advisory Committee. For more information about SRS Title II projects and the Resource Advisory Committee, or RAC, click here.

Howard, who represents Del Norte County at the National Association of Counties, or NACo, said SRS dollars are based on revenue that used to come to the community from timber receipts before Congress created the Smith River National Recreation Area in the 1990s.

Howard pointed out that SRS not only accounts for a significant portion of Del Norte County’s general fund, those dollars also go to Del Norte County Unified School District. That is why in Howard advocated for a donation from the Board of Supervisors for about $35,700 last year toward the National Center for Public Lands, a nonprofit organization spearheaded by NACo.

The National Center for Public Lands seeks to keep Congress from cutting both the SRS and federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILT, programs.

“Every year, we’re [fighting] for every last dime that Congress owes us,” he said. “I know our PILT funding was cut. We did get an allocation, but it was much less than last year. I don’t know where we’re at with SRS.”
Howard said he wasn’t hearing any rumors that SRS was going to be reduced.

Del Norte County receives PILT for public lands that aren’t subject to property taxes, according to Auditor-Controller Clinton Schaad.
Last year, Del Norte County received $588,676 in SRS dollars, all of which is transferred into the Roads Division, Schaad said. Those dollars usually arrive in May. Del Norte hasn’t received its 2024 allocation yet, but Schaad said he wasn’t worried about it.

About $870,000 in federal PILT dollars also went to Del Norte County last year. Schaad said Del Norte usually receives that money in June.

The U.S. Forest Service announced last month that it was issuing $232 million through the SRS program. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reauthorized the program for fiscal years 2021 through 2023. The State of California is expected to receive about $33.7 million, according to an April 12 U.S. Forest Service news release.

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