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Show Grand gained $240,574 in in-lieu benefits Utah Congressman Gunn McKay Mc-Kay and Interior Secretary Cecil D. Andrus Thursday jointly announced Utah's 29 counties are receiving $7,471,599 for payments in lieu of taxes on federally-owned land. Grand County s check, received receiv-ed Monday, was for $240,574. According to McKay, payments ranged in size from $719,453 for Box Elder County to $9,548 for Morgan County. Utah, with her 32 million acres of federal land, will receive the third-largest sum in the country - $1.5 million over that previously announced. Secretary Andrus said the checks were mailed on Sept. 30. According to McKay, who spearheaded the payments in lieu of tax drive in the House Appropriations Approp-riations Committee, the funds are "payments for services rendered by counties on tax-exempt federal lands within their boundaries. It's not a federal grant or loan or revenue sharing, it is simply a payment." McKay said the law had been 18 years in the making and was finally enacted this summer. The law provides 75c per acre of entitlement entitle-ment lands, minus certain payments pay-ments from other programs. If deductions reduce payments too severely, the law provides a flat 10c per acre with no deductions. According to McKay, entitlement entitle-ment lands are those administered by BLM, the Forest Service, National Park Service, and water resource projects. Indian and military reservations are not included. "This is a great day for Utah," McKay said, explaining that these funds are without federal strings. "Our counties have been doing valuable work for the federal government without any reim bursement and some of our smaller counties have been bearing heavy burdens. Now, for the first time, they will be able to spend the money on other more worthwhile local projects than helping out the government. McKay said that payments in lieu funds are not automatic but must be appropriated every year. "Next year Secretary Andrus may be back here to do the same thing over again." |