(Washington, D.C., April 14, 2026) — The U.S. Forest Service today announced it will be issuing $248 million in Secure Rural Schools payments for 2025, delivering critical funding to eligible states and counties with National Forest System lands. These payments help sustain public schools, maintain local roads, strengthen wildfire preparedness, and support other essential services in rural communities.
"Secure Rural Schools payments reflect our strong partnership with the counties and communities that surround national forests," said Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz. "These funds support critical infrastructure, while advancing active forest management and restoration that keep forests resilient and communities safer. We remain committed to deliver this support directly to rural communities that depend on these resources."
The 2025 payments include Title I, Title III and 1908 Act allocations, which help fund education, transportation infrastructure and critical community services in rural areas. They also enhance wildfire readiness at the local level by supporting Firewise Communities programs, reimbursing counties for emergency services on national forests, and supporting the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans — making communities safer and improving coordination with Forest Service wildfire response efforts.
Since 1908, 25% of Forest Service revenue from timber sales, mineral leases, livestock grazing, recreation fees and other sources have been shared with states and counties containing national forests. By the 1990s, long-term reductions in timber revenue significantly reduced these payments, prompting Congress to enact the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 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.
For more information about the Secure Rural Schools program, visit our website.
