FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2026
CONTACT: [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher (Idaho-01) released the following statement after the U.S. Forest Service announced it will issue $248 million in Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments for 2025 and $182 million in retroactive payments for 2024. These funds go to eligible states and counties with untaxed National Forest System lands.
The announcement comes after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 in December of last year, which was later signed into law. The bill reauthorized the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program through Fiscal Year 2026 and provided lapsed payments for 2024 and 2025, a measure Congressman Fulcher helped facilitate get on the House floor and advocated for with House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republican Leadership.
“Federal programs like SRS are vital to Idaho’s rural communities, where a significant portion of land is owned by the federal government. However, this funding has grown increasingly difficult to garner support for in the U.S. Congress, as states without vast federal landholdings often view this program as a subsidy,” said Congressman Fulcher. “I am grateful to Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership for their collaborative efforts with my office to get legislation to provide payments through Fiscal Year 2026—in addition to lapsed payments for 2024 and 2025—on the House floor and passed. While I am very pleased to see these funds released, I will continue to advocate for a long-term solution in Congress.”
Idaho counties will receive a total of $24 million in payments for Fiscal Year 2025 and $27 million for 2024.
About Russ Fulcher
Russ Fulcher is a fourth-generation Idahoan, grew up on a dairy farm in Meridian, Idaho. He was elected to Congress to represent Idaho's first congressional district in 2019 after serving in the Idaho State Senate for ten years. Visit https://fulcher.house.gov/ for more information or to find contact info.
