Oklahoma will receive more than $4.5 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding from the Department of the Interior in 2025, according to the federal government.
The Payments in Lieu of Taxes program was created in 1976 to offset losses in property taxes because of non-taxable federal land.
Funding is distributed to more than 1,900 local and state governments to assist with core services. Payment amounts are determined by the acreage of federal land within each county.
Le Flore County and McCurtain County are listed to receive the largest allocations in the state at more than $465,000 each. Le Flore County holds more than 255,000 acres of federal land, while McCurtain County holds more than 180,000 acres. Both counties exist within the Choctaw Nation's reservation.
Some counties, including Beckham, Coal, Garvin, Logan, Noble, Payne and Pottawatomie counties, won't receive any PILT funding due to a lack of federal land.
PILT funding for Oklahoma has gradually increased since 2019, when the state received $3.4 million. Last year, it received nearly $4.4 million. This year, the state will see a 33% increase in funding since 2019.
The Department of the Interior said it will allocate $644.8 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding nationally this year. It reportedly receives $20 billion annually from activity on federal lands.
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