Tester, Daines push for swift Secure Rural Schools payments
(U.S. Senate)—Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines are pushing the U.S. Forest Service to expedite Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to rural Montana counties. In a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Tester and Daines demanded the Forest Service distribute SRS payments to rural counties as quickly as possible. “For rural America to thrive, communities must be able to maintain quality schools, protect public safety, and invest in roads and bridges,” Tester and Daines wrote. “As we work to improve economic opportunities in our forested counties through responsible timber harvest, increased tourism and outdoor recreation, the Secure Rural Schools program