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By Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune March 26. 2015 4:57PM Timber payments extension passes U.S. House A two-year extension of timber payments attached to a Medicare reform bill that would give Jackson County about $7.4 million for the 2014-15 fiscal year passed the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday. The measure, approved by a vote of 392-37, was included in a bipartisan bill that reforms how doctors are paid under Medicare. The extension of the Secure Rural Schools program will provide funding for schools, roads and county government in 33 cash-strapped Oregon counties, some of which are at risk of going bankrupt. Much of the money goes to rural areas  with a high percentage of national forests and is designed to make up for lost timber receipts, which were shared with local communities. “Now this is like a can of flat fix: an emergency repair on the side of the road to solve a short-term problem," Second District Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, said on the House floor Thursday prior to the vote, according to a release from his office. "What we really need is a permanent fix for our forested counties. But this is an emergency and what we’re doing today is providing a lifeline to our schoolchildren in classrooms in rural counties that are forested under federal land, and making sure law enforcement have the resources they need." This two-year extension now goes to the Senate. Officials in Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden's office said they expect it to pass. Walden's office said President Obama has announced that he would sign it. The dollar amount allocated to Jackson County would be about 5 percent less than the $7.8 million given in 2013-14. County Administrator Danny Jordan said roughly $3 million of the allocated funds would go into the county's general fund if the bill and extension are signed. The remainder goes to schools and road funds. "That's a very rough estimate," Jordan said. Historically, about 70 percent of county general funds pay for public safety. Jordan added the extension would be welcome news, but that it's still significantly less than the $23 million amount the county was receiving several years ago. Reach reporter Ryan Pfeil at 541-776-4468 or [email protected] . Follow him at www.twitter.com/ryanpfeil . http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150326/news/150329708 © 2016 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->