oregon california railroad lands oregon california railroad lands commonly known lands approximately acres land located eighteen counties western oregon originally granted build railroad portland oregon san_francisco california land united_states government act congress currently managed counties lands located received payments united_states government compensation loss timber tax revenue beginning share timber revenue lands changing years timber production decreased governments counties come depend land revenue important source income schools county services recent source income lands extension community self determination act renewed vastly reduced spending levels leaving counties find new sources funding late united_states house_of_representatives considering bill resume funding increase timber provide additional income counties origin government desire foster settlement economic development western states july congress passed oregon california railroad act act acres land available company built railroad portland oregon san_francisco land distributed state oregon acre land grants mile track completed companies named began competition build railroad west east lines eventually merge oregon california railroad congress changed grants distributed requiring railroads sell land line settlers acre parcels acre land distributed pattern sections laid miles rail corridor government retaining alternate sections future growth railroad extended portland way created growth towns aurora emerged freight passenger stations provided commercial river valley rarely able travel railroad way new drain oakland laid land fraud significant aspect railroad provided access oregon vast forests large scale logging operations despite large number grants difficult sell actual settlers land heavily forested chiefly rugged remote railroads soon realized land valuable sold larger plots developers timber companies result individuals posed settlers purchase land acre rate promptly railroad amassed smaller plots larger ones higher price timber interests scheme grants altogether soon emerged railroad official hired surveyor named round people portland land office register parcel promptly railroad plots highest typically acre investigation uncovered scandal time grown magnitude paper reported land sales violated federal law nearly people indicted connection fraud including senator attorney lands land fraud trials reached conclusion attention turned acquired company violated terms grant agreement declared terminating land sales violation grant agreement future increases land values retain timber profits series lawsuits united_states government railroads ensued lawsuit brought portland attorney future representative behalf western oregon counties sued claim revenue timber sales lands cases worked way ruled united_states despite violation grant terms railroad built railroad company compensated congress passed chamberlain act remaining acres land united_states government compensated railroad acre account oregon california land grant fund funded timber sales land oregon counties affected land compensated fund ease financial trouble faced counties little timber revenue actually generated land counties large land owned federal government denying source property tax revenue problems compounded 1920s counties organized voice district attorney future senator began lobbying oregon congressional delegation relief bill introduced oregon senator known act passed law provided government pay counties lieu property taxes received land privately owned government timber revenues timber revenue remained low payments actually counties congress began work new legislation act congress sought ensure federal funding counties oregon california lands sustained yield management act commonly referred directed interior harvest timber lands bay wagon road lands sustained yield basis legislation returned percent timber sales receipts counties percent federal government payments counties prior establishment act law specifically provided lands managed including protection watershed ensure permanent source timber revenue counties act later succeeded managed billion board feet standing inventory billion board feet mid-1990s harvested billion board feet time period fully percent revenue previously gone treasury reverted counties counties opted divert money maintenance land roads recreational facilities improvements report contained estimate implementation counties received total million result act authors report estimated counties received government payments land held privately achieved previous legislation failed provide stable revenue counties revenue vital budgets counties paying county provided services law enforcement health social services funding seemingly guaranteed counties kept taxes lower counties state increasing dependence timber payments example property tax cents assessed value far state average decline timber revenue revised congressional action annual timber harvest revenue federal forest land nationwide peaked billion following year impact increased environmental concerns began negatively impact timber sales lands federal plan implemented designed guide forest management federal lands protecting old growth forest habitat endangered species northern spotted owl plan restricted land available timber harvest revenue federal forest lands fell peak revenue areas northwest particularly hard hit offset effects loss timber revenue president bill_clinton proposed year program payments set percent average act payments declining percent annually spotted owl safety net payments passed congress pub payments set work began seek extension payments counties joined rural counties including oregon counties faced falling timber revenues lobby congress solution congress passed secure rural schools community self determination act pub western counties including counties receive federal payments compensate loss timber revenue payments counties included revenue revenue land averaged million year act extended year year extension included emergency economic act phased program extension expired september final payment million delivered counties early late oregon senators proposed legislation extend payments years backed governor entire oregon congressional delegation republican democratic members oregon congressional delegation proposed setting aside federal land oregon public half designated harvest provide revenue counties half designated conservation area president barack_obama proposed united_states federal budget included million extend program fiscal year plan continue payments years declining year march added amendment surface transportation bill authorized year extension community self determination act oregon counties received total million legislation divided counties currently receive payments oregon received million program transportation bill including amendment passed senate vote refused vote senate bill instead passing month extension current transportation bill contain county payments extension july secure rural schools act renewal amendment included transportation bill approved congress signed president widely expected renewal program september congress passed year extension program reduced levels future counties future revenue uncertain oregon counties face severe financial crisis pay county services including law enforcement social services justice systems election services road maintenance county services required state law bankruptcy permitted counties considered merging save costs explored new sources revenue hardest hit counties introduced ballot measure add sales tax pay county services oregon states united_states county state sales tax tax voted regularly voters proposed areas assess gas tax cities tourist areas assess local tax prepared food proposed property tax increase pay law enforcement defeated sheriff office reduced staff released inmates county jail reduce spending released prisoners prisons laid law enforcement personnel cut costs passed law allow counties use timber funds previously reserved road maintenance pay law enforcement patrols late house passed forest management bill sponsored include increased timber lands resumption funding president obama indicated likely veto bill
Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands