Commissioner Robinson returns from D.C.

Earlier this month I attended a Leadership Strategic Planning Fly-In in Washington DC September 10 through 12.. The meeting was a gathering of all the National Association of Counties (NACo) leadership to discuss the strategic vision and priorities of NACo. The afternoon of the twelfth the group went to the Capitol to discuss issues that pertained to their committees.

Ron Walter from Chelan County Washington, Deborah Cox, NACo legislative director and Robinson had several meetings that afternoon and the next morning. The main topic of our discussion was Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS). They are the payments that counties receive from federal lands to make up for loss of revenue from taxes (PILT) or timber harvest (SRS). Currently we have to argue our case every year for these payments and we are trying to find a permanent solution. All of our Montana Congressional delegation have been very supportive of our effort. There is just not an easy fix and will take a lot of working together to get it done.

Our first stop was to visit with Todd Ungerecht, Director of Northwest Energy and Environmnet Policy and senior council for Representative Doc Hastings (WA), Chair of the Natural Resources Committee. Next we met with Lindsay Slater, Chief of Staff for Representative Mike Simpson (ID), Chairman of the House Energy and Water Subcommittee.

Congressman Steve Daines made a special trip back to his office to meet with us at 5. We were able to have a lengthy discussion with his natural resources staff person, Meghan Marino.

Senator Tester's legislative assistant, Dylan Laslovich made time to meet with us Friday morning. We had a candid conversation about PILT and SRS. I appreciate his willingness to listen to our concerns.

We did not have time to meet with Senator Walsh's office but he was a speaker at the NACO PILT fly-in held the next week. Two commissioners from Montana attended that.

We went to the Department of Interior and met first with Rowan Gould, Deputy Director US Fish and Wildlife Service. We spoke about the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the importance of them working together with the local governments and landowners. I was impressed with his attitude of how important it was for