Without much fanfare, a funding bill with large implications for rural communities was extended by Congress last month.

More than $500 million will be available this fiscal year to 41 states and Puerto Rico for improvements to public schools, road maintenance and stewardship projects under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act. It's a bill that has brought hundreds of thousands in federal aid to Amador County roads and schools since being enacted in 2000.

It's been of primary aid to rural communities in the west, in which much of the land is federally owned.

Since 1908, 25 percent of U.S. Forest Service revenues, such as those from timber sales, mineral resources and grazing fees, have been returned to states in which national forest lands are located. But when the federal government placed restrictions on those industries, the royalties dried up and smaller communities were left with little more than a small tax base to provide for schools, roads and public protection. The original SRS Act was enacted to provide assistance to rural counties affected by the decline in revenue from timber harvests on federal lands. The funds have been used for schools and roads, as well as to create employment opportunities, to maintain current infrastructure, and to improve the health of watersheds and ecosystems, the Forest Service said in a release.

"The biggest single issue affecting my foothill and mountain counties - Amador, Calaveras and Alpine - has been the Secure Rural Schools Act that we just got passed as part of the economic recovery package," said Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA). "The rural schools in this country, but mostly the west, are severely affected by the fact that the federal government owns much of the land in their counties. Alpine County's 96 percent owned by the federal government."

Lungren has been bothered in the past by the lateness of the act's passage. In recent years, it has come down to late, one-year extensions, often after the school year has started and education budgets set.

While late again this year, Lungren said he and some of his colleagues were able to secure a four-year extension as part of the Senate rescue plan package. That's the good news. The potentially troubling news is the extension works on a sliding scale for California, with counties receiving 90 percent of past funding in the first year, 81 percent the following year, 73 percent in the third year and 50 percent in the final year.

"After that," Lungren told the Ledger Dispatch, "it's presumed it will be phased out."

Amador County has traditionally received about $260,000 a year in these federal funds.

Commenting on the SRS reauthorization and the Forest Service implementation plan, U.S. Forest Service Chief Gail Kimbell said, "The reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act represents renewed and, in many cases, new opportunities for counties, Resource Advisory Committees and national forests to work together to maintain infrastructure, improve the health of watersheds and ecosystems, protect communities, and strengthen local economies. We look forward to collaborating with communities to fully implement the act."

The U.S. Forest Service has set a Nov. 14 deadline for states to submit certain information to ensure timely 2008 payments. State payments for the current fiscal year will be issued no later than Jan. 15, 2009.

"We are excited to continue our partnerships with California counties and local communities through the Secure Rural Schools Program," added Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore. "In the past seven years, this program has allowed us to make additional investments of $55 million in (1,000) projects that enhance forest ecosystems throughout California."

The Forest Service manages approximately 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. For more information, visit: www.fs.fed.us.