ROLLA – Ste. Genevieve County will be receiving $16,115.54 under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, another way that the USDA Forest Service provides benefits to communities in and around the Forest.
SRS provides critical funding for schools, roads, and other municipal services to more than 700 counties across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Twenty-seven counties across Missouri receive funding through SRS. This comes from a portion of Forest Service funds generated through multi-use activities (such as grazing, timber production, and special use permits) being distributed back to the counties where these activities occur; and for Missouri, that translates to those that serve as the home of Mark Twain National Forest.
This year’s SRS payments (2023 funds) were distributed to states in April 2024. The counties decide how they will utilize the payments, starting with what percentage they want for different categories, known as Title 1, Title 2, and Title 3.
- Title I for roads and schools
- Title II for projects on Federal lands
- Title III for county projects.
USDA Forest Service provides more information about these Titles, their rules, and applications, on its SRS webpage.
Totals of 2023 SRS funds (excluding the 5.7% sequestration – a budgeting reduction mandated by Congress) for Missouri Counties are:
County | Amount |
Barry (009) | 99,098.20 |
Bollinger (017) | 2,760.76 |
Boone (019) | 3,849.89 |
Butler (023) | 88,941.19 |
Callaway (027) | 17,360.87 |
Carter (035) | 147,722.11 |
Christian (043) | 73,973.58 |
Crawford (055) | 90,223.17 |
Dent (065) | 150,403.00 |
Douglas (067) | 105,931.71 |
Howell (091) | 106,161.76 |
Iron (093) | 195,692.15 |
Laclede (105) | 55,136.90 |
Madison (123) | 108,256.23 |
Oregon (149) | 200,949.65 |
Ozark (153) | 88,536.62 |
Pulaski (169) | 78,036.03 |
Reynolds (179) | 190,129.19 |
Ripley (181) | 166,470.56 |
Shannon (203) | 181,553.60 |
St. Francois (187) | 1,457.34 |
Ste. Genevieve | 16,115.54 |
Stone (209) | 19,645.48 |
Taney (213) | 113,518.99 |
Texas (215) | 132,771.47 |
Wayne (223) | 172,727.75 |
Wright (229) | 17,177.50 |
The 2023 SRS funds going to Missouri total over $2.6 million.
Most of the funding by each county usually is selected to go to Title 1 funding, which does great work for the school systems and roadways in our forest communities.
Although only a few Missouri counties have contributed to Title 2 funds over the past several years, a community-driven Resource Advisory Committee will meet later this year to discuss where to allocate those funds for projects on federal land.
Some counties decide to utilize some of the money for Title 3 to increase their fire readiness; and the Forest Service is always excited to find ways to support and partner with counties and communities that are performing wildfire reduction activities.
So, the next time you hear about a Title 1 school program or drive down a freshly paved road in a community near Mark Twain National Forest, you can think about the SRS program and the benefits it provides!