National Forest Counties and Schools Coalition

NATIONAL FOREST COUNTIES AND SCHOOLS COALITION

Summer 2016 CONGRESSIONAL STATE AND LOCAL MEETINGS

The Secure Rural Schools program was intended as a safety net for forest communities in 42 states. SRS payments are based on historic precedent and agreements removing federal lands from local tax bases and from full local community economic activity. The expectation is that the federal government and Congress will develop a long term system based on sustainable active forest management. Congress needs to act on active long term forest management programs generating local jobs and revenues. Congress funded SRS for 2014 and 2015, but has not funded SRS for 2016. Congress must continue the historic national commitment to the 775 rural counties and 4,400 schools in rural communities and school districts served by the SRS program. Without Congressional action on forest management and SRS, forest counties and schools face the loss of irreplaceable essential fire, police, road and bridge, community and educational services.

Meet Your Members of Congress this summer: Members will be home meeting with constituents until after Labor Day. Please meet in your community if possible.

Purpose: Build support for the principles of the Secure Rural Schools program and long term sustainable forest management leading to healthy forests, productive revenues, job creation, and revitalized local economies. Tell Your Representative how important SRS funding is to his/her schools and communities.

•  ASK your Member of Congress to speak to his/her leadership in the House and Senate to continue the purposes of the Secure Rural Schools program supporting essential safety, fire, police, road and bridge, community and education services, and

•  ASK for action on legislation to actively manage and restore National Forest and BLM lands promoting social and economic stability in local communities with appropriate environmental safeguards.

PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS, FIRE, POLICE, ROAD, BRIDGE, AND LOCAL SERVICES YOUR COMMUNITY AND OTHER COMMUNITIES IN YOUR STATE WILL LOSE IF SRS FUNDING IS NOT REPLACED.

The National Coalition asks Congress to continue the Secure Rural Schools program through long term sustainable forest management programs promoting healthy forests, productive revenues, job creation, and revitalized local economies incorporating the Coalition’s long term goals:

• Securing payment methods that achieve or exceed historic revenue levels to counties and schools under the 1908 Act and the 1937 O & C Act with incentives that produce a sustainable level of funding from actual receipts.

• Ensuring that federal land management plans and projects are science based and reflect a balance between ecological, economic and social needs; timely and appropriate public input and review; consistency with local government planning; adequate agency resources to allow for full, annual implementation of goal oriented plans and accountability systems.

• Increasing revenues from National Forest and BLM lands through active goal-based multiple use management within the context of sustainable forest management, and applicable federal law.

PLEASE ASK YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ASK THEIR LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT LONG TERM FOREST MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS AND TO CONTINUE SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS LOCAL FIRE, POLICE, SAFETY, ROAD, BRIDGE, COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL SERVICES.