U.S. Congressman Russ Fulcher announced on Apr. 20 that the U.S. Forest Service will distribute $248 million in Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments for 2025 and $182 million in retroactive payments for 2024 to eligible states and counties with untaxed National Forest System lands.
The announcement follows the passage of the Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2025 by the U.S. House of Representatives in December, which was later signed into law. The legislation reauthorized SRS funding through Fiscal Year 2026 and included provisions for lapsed payments from previous years.
Fulcher said, “Federal programs like SRS are vital to Idaho’s rural communities, where a significant portion of land is owned by the federal government. However, this funding has grown increasingly difficult to garner support for in the U.S. Congress, as states without vast federal landholdings often view this program as a subsidy.” He added, “I am grateful to Speaker Johnson and House Republican Leadership for their collaborative efforts with my office to get legislation to provide payments through Fiscal Year 2026—in addition to lapsed payments for 2024 and 2025—on the House floor and passed. While I am very pleased to see these funds released, I will continue to advocate for a long-term solution in Congress.”
Idaho counties are set to receive $24 million in SRS payments for Fiscal Year 2025 and $27 million for Fiscal Year 2024 under this initiative.
Fulcher is currently serving as a member of Congress representing Idaho’s 1st district after replacing Raúl Labrador in 2019 according to available records. He has served since then after previously being part of the Idaho Senate from 2005 until 2014 according to public information sources. Fulcher was born in Boise, Idaho in 1962, is currently aged sixty-one, resides in Meridian, and graduated from Boise State University with degrees earned in both1984 and again in1988.
