The reauthorization of County Timber Payments for the next fiscal year remains in the proposed budget proposed by House Republicans. Congressman Greg Walden says Budget Committee members do recognize the importance this money is to rural communities at this time. “The budget Committees’ acknowledged in these very difficult and lean economic times, County Timber Payments are an important lifeline for our rural forested communities. Now this is a small, but very important first step toward keeping the Federal Governments’ commitment to rural Oregonians.  We’ve got a lot of work before us in the House and the Senate; and I look forward to our delegation continuation our bipartisan outreach across Capital Hill; to maintain support for forested communities throughout the Federal Budget process.” County Timber Payments are intended to offset a portion of timber harvest taxes lost by restrictions on logging in federal forests. President Obama's budget does include $328-million to fund a multi-year extension of the program, a result of efforts by the entire Oregon House delegations' efforts.