Government officials will have some decisions to make.
During Wednesday's meeting of the Warren County Intergovernmental Cooperative, members got a briefing on funding from the federal government. Tony Martoglio, Allegheny National Forest deputy ranger for the Bradford district, made a presentation on payments to states and the Allegheny National Forest timber sale program.
Warren County Commissioners have until Sept. 30 to decide if they will take a set amount of Secure Rural Schools funding or receive 25 percent of the gross receipts for this year's timber harvest from the ANF. Since 2008, the 25 percent payment has been based on a seven-year rolling average of national forest receipts, Martoglio said, and distributed among the counties in which the national forest is situated in proportion to acreage of national forest in the affected counties.
In comparison, Martoglio said the set amount starts with the full funding amount. For fiscal year 2012, for all counties that elect to receive a share of the state payment it is 95 percent of the fiscal year 2011 amount.
For the past four years, Warren County has elected to take the set amount. Through Resource Advisory Committees, Martoglio said there have been a number of road and stream projects completed with the money.
"It's a county decision, not an ANF decision," Martoglio said.
Commissioner Stephen Vanco said the commissioners had not yet decided. Dave Sedon of Glade Township noted Warren County School District would hold a meeting on the subject with the commissioners and representatives of municipalities.
That meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 10 at Warren County Career Center.