KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
The Kodiak Island Borough is in line to receive over a million-and-a-half dollars from the federal government. The Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program provides monetary compensation to local governments that contain non-taxable federal land, such as National Forests, Bureau of Land Management public lands, National Parks, and other lands dedicated to water resource development projects.
The $29-million in PILT funds the Department of Interior is distributing helps local governments provide vital services to Alaskan communities, such as firefighting, police protection, construction of public schools and roads, as well as search-and-rescue operations.
Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski Wednesday called the PILT essential for local governments and communities in the state, since 60 percent of Alaska lands are owned or controlled by the federal government.
The Kodiak Island Borough is in line to receive $1,513,744. Nearby, Dillingham will get $872,408; the Aleutians East and West boroughs will receive $587,670 and $982,774, respectively; the Bristol Bay Borough gets $163,786, and the Lake and Peninsula Borough will receive $285,265.
The largest PILT payment in the state goes to the Mat-Su Borough at nearly $3.5-million. The smallest is the Yakutat Borough, at $111,063.
