Why rural leaders in 40 counties fear budget shortfalls

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Rural leaders in 40 counties fear budget shortfalls due to federal land.

PILT and Secure Rural Schools funding are crucial for infrastructure support.

Utah received $40 million in PILT, far below the needed $534 million.

SALT LAKE CITY — In ongoing meetings with intergovernmental partners at federal agencies and in Congress, participants are advocating for full PILT funding and speedy reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program, which together support critical infrastructure in America's public lands counties.

This is money that rural counties with a lot of federal land desperately rely on to provide essential services because the tax base is often so measly due to that ownership.

"Even though they are not able to collect prop