Ron Wyden

06/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/29/2026 14:41

Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $52 Million in PILT Payments to Support Vital Services in Oregon

June 29, 2026

Merkley, Wyden Announce Over $52 Million in PILT Payments to Support Vital Services in Oregon

Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced counties throughout Oregon will receive a combined total of $52,016,022 in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2026. Because local governments cannot tax federal lands, annual PILT funding helps to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services in counties with federal lands.

"Rural communities shouldn't have to wonder if they will have the resources they need to pay for essential services and infrastructure," said Merkley, who serves as Ranking Member of the Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee which funds PILT. "PILT funds schools, firefighters, law enforcement, and road construction-I'll keep working to fully fund PILT so communities and families across Oregon have the resources they need to thrive."

"At a time when local budgets throughout Oregon are tight, it's more important than ever to provide these federal investments that support public education, public safety and transportation statewide," said Wyden. "I'm glad these resources are heading to make our state an even better place to live and work, and I'll keep battling both to protect and to strengthen this lifeline."

PILT compensates counties for tax-exempt federal lands administered by federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction.

Individual payments may vary from year to year as a result of changes in acreage data, prior-year federal revenue-sharing payments reported annually by the governor of each state, and inflationary adjustments using the Consumer Price Index and population data. Senators Merkley and Wyden continue to monitor PILT allocations closely and will continue to ensure fair payments for every county.

Here is a breakdown of 2026 PILT payments by Oregon county:

Oregon County

2026 Payments

Total Acres of Federal Land

Baker

$2,249,689

1,016,405

Benton

$250,092

74,430

Clackamas

$1,362,698

617,455

Clatsop

$8,331

1,585

Columbia

$38,883

10,961

Coos

$823,730

244,071

Crook

$3,244,729

940,423

Curry

$1,992,401

687,737

Deschutes

$4,328,454

1,444,878

Douglas

$4,066,076

1,659,962

Gilliam

$160,160

45,757

Grant

$1,311,810

1,779,063

Harney

$1,473,387

4,462,615

Hood River

$585,240

205,855

Jackson

$2,966,898

909,696

Jefferson

$969,739

305,317

Josephine

$2,333,835

714,226

Klamath

$4,475,350

2,232,638

Lake

$1,562,681

3,692,647

Lane

$3,573,364

1,738,095

Lincoln

$546,158

192,982

Linn

$1,547,459

561,487

Malheur

$3,749,431

4,299,181

Marion

$624,145

226,094

Morrow

$512,050

150,971

Multnomah

$237,543

82,322

Polk

$148,682

41,984

Sherman

$203,763

57,726

Tillamook

$413,592

136,490

Umatilla

$1,425,156

420,343

Union

$2,112,039

624,214

Wallowa

$1,497,560

1,171,213

Wasco

$655,759

220,075

Washington

$49,563

13,972

Wheeler

$327,061

302,080

Yamhill

$188,514

58,758

Total

$52,016,022

31,344,708

A full list of funding by state and county is available on the Interior Department's PILT webpage.

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Ron Wyden published this content on June 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 29, 2026 at 20:41 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]