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<br />Social and Economic Environment
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<br />The money that each county receives from the Forest Service must be spent on public works and schools.
<br />,'. In Colorado, 95 percent of the money received is spent on public works for roads, the other 5 percent
<br />is spent for schools. Table 11-6 lists the actual amount of receipts generated by the RGNF that were
<br />received by each county. Aside from inflation, the counties have received a larger payment from the 25-
<br />percent payment in recent years. The primary source of gross revenue for the RGNF is from timber sales.
<br />While the Forest has sold less timber in recent years, the price received for the timber has increased
<br />considerably, thus the counties receive more in payments. .
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<br />Table 11-6. Twenty-five Percent Fund Receipts by County
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<br /> Twenty-five Percent Fund Receipts by County
<br /> Rio Grande National Forest. unadjusted dollars.
<br />County 1975 1980 1985 1990 1993
<br />Alamosa $1,630 $4,028 $2,348 $4,307 $10,137
<br />.
<br />Archuleta $1,323 $3,268 $1,905 $3,824 $8,526
<br />Conejos $17,128 $42,313 $24,660 $49,504 $110,382
<br />Mineral . $22,424 $55,421 $32,284 $64,782 $144,306
<br />Hinsdale $11,736 $28,954 $16,878 $33,894 $75,560 .
<br />Rio Grande $15,648 $38,851 $22,596 $45,980 $102,503
<br />Saguache $36,145 $89,317 $52,101 $104,577 $235,298
<br />San Juan $1,388 $3,430 $1,999 $3,973 $8,858
<br />Forest Totals $107,422 $265,582 $154,771 $310,841 $695,570
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<br />P~el1t6 ill I ieu of Taxe6 (Pill)
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<br />Counties also receive payments from the federal government based'on the acreage of certain federally
<br />owned land within each county. These payments are known as Payment in Ueu of Taxes, or PILT
<br />payments (31 U.S.c. Chapter 69). PILT is paid directly to the counties by the Bureau of Land
<br />Management (BLM).
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<br />PILT payments are calculated by one of two methods, but both methods use as their base the acres of
<br />"entitlement lands" in each county. Entitlement lands consist of lands in the National Forest System, the
<br />National Park System, and the Bureau of Land Management. They also include lands dedicated to the
<br />use of Federal water resource development projects, most National Wildlife Reserve Areas withdrawn
<br />from the public domain, and some Department of Defense lands,
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<br />11-7
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