Daines Introduces Bill to Support Montana’s Rural Schools
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced legislation to support Montana schools by reauthorizing the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026. The program supports counties that formerly relied on timber receipts but no longer receive that funding due to the lack of logging projects. Montana’s Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite and Jefferson Counties have historically received payments through this program. “Montana’s rural counties rely on SRS for school funding, road maintenance and more. This bipartisan legislation will give our rural communities that have