Federal grant programs / Department of Agriculture

Schools and Roads - Grants to States (10.665)

Also known as Payments to States

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$7.3 million
• Grant awards160
• Typical award$35,000
• Awarded in FY 2025$1.7 million
• Size rank1,555 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $824,352 in fiscal 2021 to $1.7 million in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 1555th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 60% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 17 states and territories.

What the program funds

The objective of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act is to provide stable and predictable payments to States and counties containing National Forest System lands in order to offset revenue losses resulting from declines in timber receipts. The program is intended to support funding for public schools, road maintenance, and other essential local government services in rural communities historically dependent on National Forest receipts. By authorizing payments based on historical revenue levels rather than current timber harvests, the program seeks to promote fiscal stability for eligible counties and States while supporting sustainable forest management and community well-being.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

Title I payments are made to States or territories of the United States to be allocated to counties in which national forests are situated. Title II project funds are reserved in special account in the U.S. Treasury and may be used by the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of entering into and implementing cooperative agreements with willing Federal agencies, State and local governments, private and nonprofit entities, and landowners. (16 U.S.C 7122). Title III funds are paid to respective states to be passed-through to participating counties.

What the money can and cannot pay for

The Secure Rural Schools Act allows counties in which national forests are situated to elect to share in the State payment (based on a formula in the Act) or to share in the state's 25-percent payment (based on the 7-year rolling average of receipts from national forests in the State). The 25-percent payments to states are to be used for the benefit of public schools and public roads in the counties in which national forests are situated. An eligible county that elects to receive a share of the State payment (based on the formula in the Act) must under some circumstances allocate a portion of that payment for title II special projects on national forests or title III county projects, or both. The portion of the Secure Rural Schools Act State payments not allocated for these purposes are to be used to benefit public schools and public roads in counties in which national forests are situated. The payments to benefit schools and roads are commonly called title I funds. Funds allocated by counties for title II special projects are reserved in a special account in the General Treasury and may be used by the Secretary of Agriculture for projects that improve the maintenance of existing infrastructure, enhance forest ecosystems, and restore and improve land health and water quality on national forests.

Continue reading on SAM.gov

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title 16, Part N/A, Subpart N/A,Public Law Pub. L. 106-393. Payments are made according to the statutory formula in the 16 U.S. Code § 7111-7122.Matching requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing.

Deadlines

Deadlines do not apply

Award range and average, in the agency's words

25% 7 yr. average: $2 to $1,397,323 – average: $151,756 (19 states) Title I: $1 to $9,587,418 - average $366,907: (42 states) Title II: $1,922 to $1,294,931 – average: $98,145 (31 states) Title III: $1,682 to $789,552 – average: $54,134 (31 states)

Examples of funded projects

Fiscal Year2025: In 2025 conservation crews participated in recreation and trails work in the Idaho Panhandle National Forests. Activities included logging, brushing, constructing drainage structures, trail maintenance, and being educated on forest conservation.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Nonprofits received 58% of the money, state and local governments 34% and businesses 4.3%.

By state

6 states have a page for this program: those that received at least $1 million or 10 awards.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.