The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-393) amended the Forest Service’s county payments program for FY2001-FY2006 to allow states or counties to choose to receive the average of the three highest payments for FY1986-FY1999 in lieu of the regular 25% payment, but requiring that15%-20% of those payments be used by the counties for specified purposes, in accordance with recommendations of resource advisory committees for projects on federal lands, or returned to the Treasury.

The Forest Service county payments should not be confused with Bureau of Land Management “payments in lieu of taxes.”