Implementing public policy often involves steps and procedures that can be challenging to digest for policy- makers themselves, researchers and laypeople alike. This fact sheet outlines the procedures for calculating the level of federal payment from the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program. Approximately 80% of Nevada’s total land acreage is federally administered, and local governments can’t legally tax these lands. Former Bureau of Land Management Director Jim Baca stated, “While federal lands provide important local recreational and economic opportunities, their tax-exempt status can have fiscal impacts on the governmental units that surround them. These payments are beneficial to local governments, especially for sparsely populated counties that contain large acreage of tax-exempt federal lands. These payments help provide vital services such as fire and police stations, search and rescue operations, and road construction.”

For Elko County, 100% of PILT payments, prior to their adjustments, were derived from Section 6902 payments. For all counties in Nevada, Section 6902 payments comprise 99% or more of PILT monies.

For the complete report, use the link below to download the PDF version.

T.R. Harris, R. Chicola 2023, Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) to Nevada Counties in 2021: Elko County, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, FS-23-14
Printable    Version    (PDF)

Extension Associated Contacts

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Associated Programs

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Nevada Economic Assessment Project (NEAP)

The Nevada Economic Assessment Project focuses on providing Nevada’s counties, state and federal agencies, and their partners with quantitative and qualitative baseline data and analyses to better understand the counties’ demographic, social, economic, fiscal and environmental characteristics, trends and impacts. The data can be used for land use and project planning, grant writing and overall policy assessment.