In the News

Rural Colorado counties received over $13.5 million in federal funding through the Secure Rural Schools program to help sustain public schools, maintain local roads, strengthen wildfire preparedness and support other essential services, according to a news release from the office of Rep. Joe Neguse.

The Secure Rural Schools program, a longstanding federal program using U.S. Forest Service revenueto provide aid to rural counties and public schools across the country, was temporarily extended through a bipartisan federal funding bill in 2025 after Congress inaction caused it to expire in 2023.

During the two-year lapse, the U.S. Forest Service issued 2024 payments under the 1908 revenue-sharing framework, as required by law. With the program’s reauthorization in 2025 through fiscal year 2026, the agency is reconciling payments to ensure counties receive the full amounts owed under the program for fiscal years 2025 and 2024.

Legislation extending the program was co-sponsored by Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, and Reps. Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen, all Democrats, along with Republican Rep. Jeff Hurd. The measure included a provision to provide payments covering the period when the program had lapsed.

The $13.5 million in payments for Colorado counties announced by Neguse, who represents mountain communities including Summit, Grand, Eagle and Routt counties, were delivered to 42 Colorado counties in mid-February. In total, $182 million was given to more than 700 counties across the country.

Some of the Western Slope counties that received retroactive funding in February include:

Grand County: $2,038,442

Summit County: $1,182,460

Eagle County: $924,429

Pitkin County: $764,488

Garfield County: $289,989

Routt County: $84,038

“For many rural counties, SRS payments aren’t optional – they’re essential,” Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said in a news release. “The Forest Service’s annual payments provide reliable, predictable funding that rural states and counties depend on. These payments strengthen local schools and infrastructure while honoring the partnership between national forests and the communities that surround them.”