April 18, 2020 8:30 a.m.
Douglas County government will be receiving over $7 million in Secure Rural Schools funding, nearly one quarter of the amount being dispersed to 18 counties in western Oregon from the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The county is the largest recipient of the funding, getting close to $7.1 million from the O&C portion of act.
A release from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners said the funding is critical to county residents, as it provides for vital services than otherwise would not be funded. The release said the funding is “the direct result” of the work local commissioners do when they engage in face-to-face meetings with federal staff during their visits to Washington D.C. It said without those visits and meetings, and “concerted efforts to educate and discuss O&C timber and other crucial issues with our leaders at the national level, these dollars would not be coming back to our communities”.
In a prepared statement, Commissioner Tim Freeman said “receipt of the SRS 2019 payment to the O&C Counties is very welcome funding for counties struggling financially with the COVID-19 national emergency”.
The release said the ability of Commissioners to “swiftly respond, organize and fund the current COVID-19 emergency crisis”, is also a by-product of the work they do in Washington D.C. in communicating with federal staff about the “vital importance and significance of O&C timber receipts”.
The 1937 O&C Act requires 50% of receipts collected from the sale of timber on O&C lands to be distributed among 18 counties in western Oregon.