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Wyoming Counties Getting Annual Payment from Dept. of Interior

Local governments across Wyoming will be receiving millions of dollars in payment in lieu of taxes from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

On Thursday, June 24, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced 23 local governments in Wyoming will receive $31.2 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2021.

P.I.L.T. are made annually for tax-exempt federal lands administered by Department of the Interior agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation. Since local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual P.I.L.T. payments help to defray costs associated with maintaining important community services.

The Department collects more than $10.3 billion in revenue annually from commercial activities on public lands, such as oil and gas leasing, livestock grazing, and timber harvesting. A portion of these revenues is shared with states and counties. The balance is deposited in the U.S. Treasury, which in turn pays for a broad array of federal activities, including PILT funding.

“This year’s distribution of $31.2 million to 23 counties will help local governments carry out vital services, such as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations,” said Secretary Haaland. “Our mission relies on partnerships with U.S. states and territories. These disbursements are a great example of our commitment to be a good neighbor to the communities we serve.”

All $31.2 million will be distributed between Wyoming’s 23 counties. The amount of money depends on the amount of federal acreage in each county.

Albany County                     $1,631,938      674,052

Big Horn County                  $1,221,397      1,545,102

Campbell County                 $904,482         366,072

Carbon County                     $1,511,123      2,720,797

Converse County                 $919,553         403,870

Crook County                       $808,962         333,850

Fremont County                   $2,822,966      3,185,744

Goshen County                    $78,350           27,320

Hot Springs County             $830,359         569,846

Johnson County                   $1,097,940      830,369

Laramie County                   $27,269           9,508

Lincoln County                    $1,595,322      1,947,342

Natrona County                   $3,863,491      1,484,665

Niobrara County                  $360,266         125,927

Park County                          $2,127,729      3,591,547

Platte County                        $304,633         106,460

Sheridan County                  $1,103,816      438,779

Sublette County                    $992,450         2,422,402

Sweetwater County             $3,497,939      4,601,779

Teton County                        $2,036,715      2,624,654

Unita County                        $1,597,197      568,322

Washakie County                 $1,244,451      959,405

Weston County                    $649,245         310,577

Total:                                      $31,227,593    29,848,389

Sweetwater County is receiving the highest amount – nearly $3.5 million for over 4.6 million acres.

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