U.S. Forest Service announces more than $240 million in 2025 Secure Rural Schools payments

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KTVZ) -- The U.S. Forest Service announced it will issue $248 million in Secure Rural Schools payments for 2025. This critical funding will be delivered to eligible states and counties with National Forest System lands.

These payments are designed to sustain public schools, maintain local roads, strengthen wildfire preparedness and support other essential services in rural communities.

The Secure Rural Schools program provides vital financial support to communities that surround national forests.

These funds are crucial for local infrastructure and help advance active forest management and restoration efforts, aiming to keep forests resilient and communities safer.

The 2025 payments include Title I, Title III and 1908 Act allocations. These allocations help fund education, transportation infrastructure and critical community services in rural areas.

The program also enhances wildfire readiness at the local level. It supports Firewise Communities programs, reimburses counties for emergency services on national forests and aids in the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans. These efforts make communities safer and improve coordination with Forest Service wildfire response.

Since 1908, 25% of Forest Service revenue from timber sales, mineral leases, livestock grazing, recreation fees and other sources has been shared with states and counties containing national forests.

By the 1990s, long-term reductions in timber revenue significantly decreased these payments. This prompted Congress to enact the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, which was designed to provide more stable funding for at-risk local services.

Over the past decade, the Forest Service has distributed $2.4 billion through the Secure Rural Schools program.