DeFazio to LaneCo: Spend some federal timber payments now

EUGENE, Ore. - Lane County should spend federal timber dollars now to fund public safety, Rep. Peter DeFazio said Monday.

Congress approed $100 million for Lane County and other financially strapped timber counties last Friday.

Lane County officials, who had to cut almost $100 million from the county budget alone, have indicated they want to bank all or some of the $10 million to soften future cuts in funding.

"My recommendation would be to use some of the unrestricted $5.5 million to put back some critical public safety services, i.e. more beds at the jail," DeFazio said Monday. "So I would like to get that back in so that we could spend some of that money to reinstate the work camp, which would help to take pressure off the county jail for less dangerous offenders."

The money is a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Communities funding.

The direct payments from the federal government are intended to offset a decline in revenues to counties and school districts from timber harvests on public lands. Public forests managed by the federal government pay no property taxes.