The U.S. Department of the Interior has announced that 15 Arizona municipalities will receive a total of $43.5 million in payments in 2023 in lieu of tax revenue.

Because municipalities cannot tax federal land, annual PILT payments help cover the costs associated with maintaining community services.

PILT payments are made on tax-exempt federal lands managed by department agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service.

In addition, PILT payments cover federal lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Utah Land Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission.

Payments are calculated based on the number of acres of federal land within each county or jurisdiction and the population of that county or jurisdiction.

“PILT payments help local governments perform essential services such as fire and police protection, building public schools and roads, and search and rescue operations,” said Joan Mooney, Chief Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. said. We are grateful for our continued partnerships with local governments across the country that help the Department of the Interior fulfill our mission on behalf of the American people. “