Commissioners must address PILT underpayments
We are disappointed, very disappointed but still hopeful. For a long time, we have wanted our local county commissioners to do two things. First of all, to proselytize for more management control of the public lands that the federal government was supposed to return to our state and, secondly, to negotiate and/or sue for higher Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT)payments in conjunction with our sister Northwest Montana counties Lincoln, Sanders and Mineral. Neither of these things have yet occurred.
Several months ago, we gave our local county commissioners information from the Enabling Document of 1889 and the Federal Land Act of 1976 clearly showing that the public land in the state really belongs to Montana and its citizens. When the federal government decided to retain ownership of these lands in 1976 they abrogated an implicit agreement contained within the Enabling Document which required these lands be given back to the state at some point in time.
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