Sen. Murkowski Welcomes PILT Payments to Alaskan Communities

June 14, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced that the Department of the Interior is distributing nearly $27 million to Alaskan communities in compensation for taxes that could not be levied on federal lands in their jurisdictions during fiscal year 2012.

The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides monetary compensation to local governments that contain National Forests, Bureau of Land Management public lands, National Parks and other lands dedicated to water resource development projects. The revenue helps local governments provide vital services, such as firefighting and police protection, construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations.

“With the federal government owning 60 percent of Alaska, the payment in lieu of taxes program ensures communities a source of funding to pay for emergency services, roads and other items that would otherwise be supported through local property taxes,” Murkowski said.

Below are 2011 and 2012 payments to individual areas.

Community/Borough

2011 Payment

2012 Payment

ALEUTIANS EAST BOROUGH

$454,403

$526,694

ALEUTIANS WEST

$765,045

$932,972

BETHEL

$1,678,548

$1,641,926

BRISTOL BAY BOROUGH

$147,180

$155,907

DENALI BOROUGH

$301,199

$308,014

DILLINGHAM

$814,050

$826,073

FAIRBANKS NORTHSTAR BOROUGH

$412,257

$420,248

HAINES BOROUGH

$364,189

$375,243

HOONAH-ANGOON CENSUS AREA

$336,529

$350,687

JUNEAU CITY & BOROUGH

$1,559,614

$1,793,885

KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH

$2,466,757

$2,676,120

KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH

$1,006,148

$1,038,263

KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH

$1,338,660

$1,433,723

LAKE & PENINSULA BOROUGH

$243,889

$276,962

MATANUSKA SUSITNA BOROUGH

$3,217,410

$3,289,009

MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE

$654,650

$680,395

MUNICIPALITY-SKAGWAY

$64,932

$129,870

NOME

$1,139,411

$1,162,044

NORTH SLOPE BOROUGH

$1,004,921

$1,162,044

NORTHWEST ARTIC BOROUGH

$1,065,768

$1,086,998

PETERSBURG CENSUS AREA

$616,724

$637,280

PRINCE OF WALES

$650,925

$670,334

S.E. FAIRBANKS

$1,004,921

$1,024,900

SITKA CITY BOROUGH

$592,104

$610,074

VALDEZ/CORDOVA

$1,139,411

$1,162,044

WADE HAMPTON

$1,065,768

$1,086,998

WRANGEL BOROUGH

$352,810

$395,518

YAKUTAT BOROUGH

$117,875

$107,265

YUKON KOYUKUK

$914,765

$932,972

TOTAL

$25,490,863

$26,894,462

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For further information, please contact Robert Dillon at 202.224.6977 or Robert_dillon@energy.senate.gov or Megan Moskowitz at 202.224.7875 or Megan_moskowitz@energy.senate.gov.

Visit our website at http://www.energy.senate.gov/public/