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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guest Opinion: Medford should strive to be more like Bend ... Poison in the well ... Gold Hill rallies to save IOOF Lodge ... Guest Opinion: Medford should strive to be more like Bend ... Poison in the well ... Gold Hill rallies to save IOOF Lodge ... FEDERAL BUDGET Time running out for O&C funds Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 7, 2014 at 7:54 PM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 7:23 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 7, 2014 at 7:54 PM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 7:23 AM » Social News With time running out on the lame duck 113th Congress, funds channeled to Oregon's 18 O&C Lands counties haven't found a place in the federal 2015 Omnibus Spending Bill. That means Jackson County is in danger of losing its share of $40 million of the Secure Rural Schools funds , which last fiscal year amounted to about $5 million. The impact on Jackson County, which applied the funds to the new Health and Human Services Building across from Medford City Hall, is minimal compared to Curry and Josephine counties, which rely heavily on such dollars. "We don't factor that money into the budget," said Jackson County Commissioner John Rachor. "Curry and Josephine counties depend on it to survive. We put it into a discretionary account and use it for capital funds projects." Although Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden has urged O&C funds' inclusion in the Omnibus bill, word filtered down to the region's counties last week that it hasn't happened thus far. Rocky McVay, executive director for the Association of O&C Counties since 1996, said he is still hopeful for inclusion, retroactive to Oct. 1. "One of the things a lot of people don't understand is that the last extension was part of the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013," McVay said. "That payment didn't come in until April 2014." McVay is just the fourth executive director for the Association of O&C Counties since it was formed in 1922. If the funds don't become part of the Omnibus Spending Bill, he said there are other options before the midnight Dec. 11 deadline. A funding bill that dies when the session adjourns will have to be reintroduced in the 114th Congress. "There is a collection of 12 spending bills," he said. "We hope it will be included in one of those that move through Congress and go to the president. It has always been included in some other spending bill. We know that Sen. Wyden is in discussions with appropriators." Under the distribution formula, 72 percent of the funds approved by Congress are divided among seven counties — Coos, Curry, Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Lane and Klamath. At one time, Jackson County received $24 million from timber harvest receipts. Rachor said the $5.5 million the county gets from Secure Rural Schools doesn't come close to replacing the lost timber receipts. "I would like to see us get back to logging," he said. Doug Breidenthal, who will be the lone returning county commissioner after Rachor and Don Skundrick retire in January, said two recent court cases may open the door to more logging. The first, decided in District of Columbia District Court, determined timber harvests had to increase. Something that would, Breidenthal said, require cutting of 57 million board feet of timber in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest alone. "Over the next year or so you should see more harvesting," he said. "From July 2013 to June 2014 our timber receipts were $6 million. Traditionally, it was $24 million. I don't see coming back in that fashion, but if we had half of that it would help dramatically and keep some of the other counties from becoming insolvent." The second court case, still being tried, is determining whether the original O&C Act takes precedent over later legislation. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/Economic Edge . By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Dec. 7, 2014 at 7:54 PM Updated Dec 8, 2014 at 7:23 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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