Last modified: Sunday, April 8, 2007 12:57 AM PDT Wyden says county payment plan close to approval By Larry Meyer - Argus Observer ONTARIO - U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, Friday said he has real hope the Secure Rural Schools Act — also known as the county payments act — will be reauthorized in Congress even as some Oregon counties that depend on the funding begin wholesale layoffs and facility closures. Wyden conducted a state-wide news conference by phone Friday from his office in Medford, and most of the questions from the press revolved around whether the reauthorization of the act would happen and when. Most of the reporters on hand for the news conference work for newspapers in counties dependent on the federal payments. The federal payments in the Secure Rural Schools Act go to counties which have federal forests within their boundaries. In the past, those counties shared with the federal government the receipts from timber sales. After timber sales declined, the Secure Rural Schools Act was passed to help support schools and timber-dependent communities stay on their feet economically, Wyden said. Besides schools, the payments are also used to pay for roads and other services. During the discussion among the senator and reporters, it was reported that 15 libraries had been closed in Jackson County, and Wyden said there are serious concerns in other counties. In its Saturday edition, the Medford Mail Tribune reported the library supporters have placed an $8.3 million annual levy on the May 15 ballot to reopen the libraries. Sheriff’s patrols and road maintenance has also been cut, the Mail Tribune report said. As he reported when he was in Ontario, Wyden said he had received 75 votes in the United States Senate in support of his proposal to fund the county payments for another five years. The county payments proposal is part of an amendment to a Senate appropriations bill that also includes full funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program for five years. Those funds go to counties which contain federal land within their borders. “Now the challenge is to have a grassroots effort to change the House position,” Wyden said. “There is strong support for the Senate position.” The appropriation bills — one generated by the United States House of Representatives and the one from the Senate — are at the epicenter of a battle between lawmakers and President George Bush. Bush has threatened to veto the appropriations bills because both set time lines for getting U.S. troops out of Iraq, while providing funding in support of current military operations. “It has strong bipartisan support,” Wyden said of the Senate bill. “At some time the legislation must pass.” Wyden said the time is right for success regarding the legislation. “We are well-positioned to get this done — and get it done as soon as possible,” he said. Wyden said he tried to get the county payment reauthorized last year, even using a filibuster to try and focus attention on the issue. He could not activate interest among the Senate leadership, he said. If he gets the county payments bill passed, Wyden said he would immediately begin work to find ways to help build local economies of Oregon communities, including using biomass to develop alternative energy sources and to promote tree-thinning projects in the forests. The county payment issue may cast a shadow over the Oregon Legislature. Oregon state Sen. Ted Ferrioli said Friday helping counties replace the lost funding could be the issue which would push the Legislature passed its planned June adjournment.