U.P. gets a share of $4 Million in PILT Payments
WASHINGTON – Twenty-nine Michigan counties, including several in the U.P., will receive a total of more than $4.1 million from the Interior Department as part of the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow announced today. The federal government provides PILT payments to local governments to offset losses in property taxes due to nontaxable federal lands within their boundaries.
“Michigan’s National Forests and other federal lands are a huge part of what makes our state special,” Levin said. “These payments allow us to preserve and protect these resources while reducing the financial burden on local communities that do not receive tax revenue from these lands.”
“At a time when local communities across Michigan are hit hard by budget cuts, this support is critical to maintaining infrastructure, public safety and other local services,” Stabenow said. “This will help ensure the continuing partnership between our local communities and our National Forests and other federal lands that contribute so much to our Michigan way of life.”
PILT payments are calculated based on a formula that includes the number of acres of federal land within each county and the population of that county. Federal lands include the National Forest and National Park Systems, Bureau of Land Management lands, and areas affected by Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation projects.
PILT payments will go to the following Michigan counties:
County PILT FY 2013 Payment
Alcona 99,273
Alger 302,759
Baraga 72,118
Benzie 20,133
Chippewa 214,251
Crawford 54,458
Delta 317,360
Gogebic 488,396
Houghton 281,543
Iosco 119,945
Iron 329,887
Keweenaw 316,511
Lake 160,028
Leelanau 100,777
Mackinac 61,778
Manistee 90,129
Marquette 36,552
Mason 98,779
Mecosta 2,756
Montcalm 3,107
Muskegon 26,315
Newaygo 84,099
Oceana 69,764
Ogemaw 1,971
Ontonagon 465,273
Oscoda 76,504
Schoolcraft 195,336
Wayne 2,873
Wexford 95,270
TOTAL 4,187,945