The Siskiyou County Resource
Advisory Committee (RAC) was formed to make recommendations for funding of Forest
Service-related projects. Congress passed the “Secure Rural Schools and Community
Self-Determination Act” in 2000. Since the federal government does not pay property
taxes, timber counties were given a 25% percent share of the revenue from timber harvests
on federal land to be used to for schools and roads. When environmental regulations and
lawsuits changed National Forest use, the funding to the counties dropped. The Act is
meant to restore some of that revenue.
Under the Act, a pot of money is allocated each year. Title I of the
Act states that half of a pot of money continues to go to rural schools and roads. The
other half of the pot goes to the RAC to spend (Title II - 15%) and the County (Title III
- 85%) to offset its forest-related services like search and rescue, auditor, etc. Siskiyou
County has decided to keep only half of the Title III money to offset expenses and has
given the other half to the RAC for projects.
The Secretary of Agriculture appoints 15 members to the RAC. There
are three teams of five members. The first team represents organized labor, outdoor
recreation, energy and mineral development, commercial timber, grazing or other land use
permit holders. The second team represents nationally recognized environmental
organizations, regional or local environmental organizations, dispersed recreation,
archaeological or historic interests and nationally recognized wild horse or burro
interest groups. The third team represents State elected office (or designee,) county or
local elected office, American Indian tribes adjacent to the Forest, school officials or
teachers, and the public at large. (I have been appointed as a “replacement”
member if a vacancy occurs on this team.)
Three of the five members on each team must vote to recommend funding
a project. It then goes to the Forest Service to monitor implementation. Approximately
$686,000 has been allotted to the RAC for fiscal year 2005, to be added to a carry over of
more than $400,000 for a total of more than a million dollars.
The RAC is looking for projects in the following areas: trails and
roads, community economic benefit, watershed restoration, fish habitat, native species,
wildlife habitat, forest health, noxious weed control, fuels management and fire
prevention. It will also look at other related projects that have a benefit to the Forest.
Projects may be done on private land as long as they provide such a benefit.
Applicants include individuals, non-profits and contractors. Anyone can submit a proposal for a project at any
time. These proposals are bundled up and considered in January, March, June and September.
(A proposal must be submitted by the first of the review month to be considered in that
cycle.) If the proposal is not approved, the
applicant can rework it and resubmit. The RAC is currently looking for larger projects
that involve integration of multiple players. Interested applicants are invited to submit
“concept papers.”
The RAC meets on the third Monday of every month at 4:30 p.m. in the
library at Yreka Union High School. The U.S. Forest Service provides administration for
the RAC and support services for project implementation. For more information, please call
Don Hall, RAC Coordinator at the Klamath National Forest at (530) 841-4468.
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