Many Montana communities sit amid large swaths of national forest. The federal land surrounding the towns limits their ability to grow. This means less taxes to fund public schools and roads.
Congress established the Secure Rural Schools program in 2000 to help stabilize public funding in rural counties. That program lapsed two years ago. This month, Congress revived it.
Office of Public Instruction Superintendent Susie Hedalen is happy to see it restored.
"It's important because it offsets the lost tax revenue that they have due to having these federal lands within their county, and allows them to have funding for supports including road maintenance and plowing," Hedalen says.
Historically, a portion of the Forest Service’s revenue generated through things like timber and grazing were distributed to these communities to fill those gaps. But as its revenue declined, so did the government’s ability to provide adequate funding.
In 2023, 30 Montana counties received a collective $16 million from the program. The funds go towards local roads and schools, restoration projects on federal land, and county public safety programs like search and rescue.
Data show western Montana counties benefit from the program the most. That same year, Lincoln County received $4 million through the program.
Montana’s congressional delegates supported the revival of the policy. Hedalen says the next round of funding from the program will come in April 2026.
