Udall, Heinrich Announce NM Counties to Receive $42.6 Million in 2018 PILT Payments to Support Schools, Roads, First Responders, Crucial Services in Rural Communities $42.6 million for 2018 represents a $4.1 million increase statewide over 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 27, 2018 Udall, Heinrich Announce NM Counties to Receive $42.6 Million in 2018 PILT Payments to Support Schools, Roads, First Responders, Crucial Services in Rural Communities $42.6 million for 2018 represents a $4.1 million increase statewide over 2017 WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich announced that counties across New Mexico will receive more than $42.6 million through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program for Fiscal Year 2018. The total is a $4.1 million increase from the total payments the state received last year, helped by the advocacy of Udall and Heinrich. A full list of funding by county and the final state total is included below. PILT provides federal payments to local governments to help offset losses in property taxes because of nontaxable federal land within their jurisdictions, including national parks and forests, wildlife refuges, and Bureau of Land Management land. Local governments use PILT funding to provide police, fire protection, emergency response, road maintenance and other crucial services to residents. New Mexico counties received payments for over 22 million acres of nontaxable federal land. "I'm proud to continue delivering the funding for New Mexico counties to deliver critical services, like schools, roads and public safety, and I am very pleased to see an increase for the state overall," said Udall, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. "New Mexico is proud to host our military bases, national monuments and other facilities that support our economy and generate tourism in our state. But local governments need budget certainty to ensure that all New Mexicans receive consistent basic services. We currently fund PILT year by year, but that isn't good enough. As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations committee, I'll continue to work for full, permanent funding to ensure local communities have the economic security they need." “Rural communities across New Mexico rely on PILT funds to provide for emergency response, maintain roads and bridges, and support local jobs," said Heinrich. "I’m glad we were successful in securing funding for this year’s payments, but we still need permanent funding for PILT to give counties in New Mexico more long-term predictability. I will continue to fight for full, permanent PILT funding so our counties have the budget certainty they need to succeed.” After years of funding PILT inconsistently, in 2008 Congress fully and automatically funded PILT for five years. In a 2012 transportation bill, full funding was extended for another year, leaving the future beyond 2013 uncertain. Udall and Heinrich have successfully secured PILT funding every year since and continue to fight for a long-term solution. The increased 2018 funding was included in the Interior, EPA and Related Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2018 which was enacted as part of the Omnibus Appropriations Act enacted in March of 2018. The PILT program is administered by the Department of the Interior. The department calculates annual payments to local governments based on the number of acres of federal entitlement land within each county and the population of that county. The lands include the National Forest and National Park Systems, lands in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge System, and areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management. New Mexico PILT Payments for fiscal year 2018: BERNALILLO COUNTY - $238,335 CATRON COUNTY - $639,528 CHAVES COUNTY - $3,225,294 CIBOLA COUNTY - $2,110,699 COLFAX COUNTY - $197,367 DE BACA COUNTY - $110,516 DONA ANA COUNTY - $3,189,584 EDDY COUNTY - $3,598,621 GRANT COUNTY - $2,558,024 GUADALUPE COUNTY - $162,226 HARDING COUNTY - $116,768 HIDALGO COUNTY - $739,903 LEA COUNTY - $1,128,578 LINCOLN COUNTY - $1,889,698 LOS ALAMOS COUNTY - $93,625 LUNA COUNTY - $1,999,158 MCKINLEY COUNTY - $1,094,772 MORA COUNTY - $306,596 OTERO COUNTY - $3,597,259 QUAY COUNTY - $4,840 RIO ARRIBA COUNTY - $3,232,674 ROOSEVELT COUNTY - $28,709 SAN JUAN COUNTY - $2,316,470 SAN MIGUEL COUNTY - $1,040,459 SANDOVAL COUNTY - $2,416,206 SANTA FE COUNTY - $812,453 SIERRA COUNTY - $1,336,642 SOCORRO COUNTY - $1,735,241 TAOS COUNTY - $2,036,719 TORRANCE COUNTY - $425,806 UNION COUNTY - $155,864 VALENCIA COUNTY - $91,858 STATE TOTAL - $42,630,492 ### Contacts: