Federal bill extends payments for rural Alaska communities

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) –
Members of Alaska’s Congressional delegation have announced a two-year extension for payments to rural communities to be included in final appropriations bills this year.
Alaska Public Radio reported payments from the Secure Rural Schools and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes programs will fund school operations and maintenance, road work and special projects in communities near national forest land.
The schools program provided nearly $11 million to Alaska communities this year, while the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program paid more than $30 million to cities, boroughs and census areas from Southeast Alaska to the North Slope in 2019.