The Senate has voted to extend payments to schools in timber country, in Idaho and across the nation.

Last week’s unanimous Senate vote now leaves the fate of the Secure Rural Schools program in the hands of the House.

“(This) is a critical first step in meeting the federal government’s responsibility to rural communities containing tax exempt public lands,” Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said in a joint news release, co-signed by Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. “I urge the U.S. House of Representatives to move expeditiously on this legislation.”

“Idaho counties rely on SRS funding for schools, road maintenance, and other essential services,” Risch said. “Until we can bring historic timber revenue back to these areas, this program must be reauthorized.”

The SRS program is designed to provide federal dollars to timber-rich communities — offsetting declining timber sales. In 2024, Idaho received $22.8 million from the program. While most SRS money is earmarked for counties and infrastructure projects, schools receive nearly a third of the funding. As a result, Idaho schools received close to $7 million from the 2024 payments.

Congress created the program in 2000.

More reading: More from Mia Maldonado of Oregon Capital Chronicle, who reported on SRS Monday.