Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments to Alaskan Communities
Funds Help Local Governments Provide Vital Services
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced the Department of the Interior is distributing nearly $29 million to Alaskan communities to help offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable federal lands within their boundaries. As Chairman of the Senate Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Murkowski ensured the PILT program was robustly funded for Fiscal Year 2016 and is fully funded for Fiscal Year 2017.
The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides monetary compensation to local governments that contain National Forests, Bureau of Land Management public lands, National Parks, and other lands dedicated to water resource development projects. The revenue helps local governments provide vital services to Alaskan communities, such as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations.
“PILT is essential for many local governments and communities across our state to fund necessary projects to offset the loss in tax revenue,” said Senator Murkowski. “With the federal government controlling over 60 percent of Alaska’s lands, this program ensures communities a source of funding to help pay for emergency services, roads and other essential services that would otherwise be supported through local property taxes.”
Below are the 2016 payments to individual Alaskan communities:
