Law could impact local schools (Logging in National Forests)

[The Straight Story]

Law could impact local schools

By Stephanie Nelson
Friday, February 2, 2007 8:28 PM CST

Alabam - Schools in Covington County, as well as others around the state, could face another blow to their dwindling school budgets if Congress doesn't renew a national forest money-sharing law.

Under the act, counties with national forest acres have received money based on the best three-year average value of timber harvests in the 1980s. In Alabama last year, Covington County received the most funding in the state with $309,331. Cherokee County rounded out the list, receiving the least amount of funding at $3,461.

If the measure is not passed, 17 Alabama counties and their school systems could lose a significant part of $2.1 million in federal funding this year.

Funds under the Secure Rural School and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, which expired Dec. 31, assist counties with national forests. Part is for schools and part is used to repair rural roads.

...
If the act is not renewed, counties will revert to funding based on the "25 percent rule." It gives counties 25 percent of logging revenue from the state's four national forests.


http://www.andalusiastarnews.com/articles/2007/02/03/news/news01.txt