Carbon County Press Release
The Carbon County Recreation Transportation Special Service District (CCRTSSD) was established in accordance with the Federal mineral leasing act. When mineral extraction takes place on federal lands, there is a royalty payment made to the federal government. Just over half of the money stays with the federal government to pay for administrative costs and other federal uses.
The rest of the money is sent to the state, at which point it is again divided and around half is put into a fund that is administered by the Community Impact Board (CIB). The majority of those funds are then made available to communities throughout the state in the form of grants or low-interest loans.
The remaining funds are then given to the community in which the mineral extraction took place. In order for the county to be able to receive this funding and also the Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT), a special service district was established. The purpose of the special service district is to receive and administer the funding that is generated by the mineral extraction on federal grounds.
For the CCRTSSD, the primary generator of these funds has come from coal mining, natural gas and oil extraction. The reason for some of the funding coming from the federal government to the counties is to mitigate the impacts that are generated by the extractive industries. The CCRTSSD is governed by a board that is appointed by the Carbon County Commission.
This board has the responsibility to administer these funds and help mitigate not only the direct impacts caused to infrastructure, like roads and water and sewer systems, but also the indirect impacts of the growth in the economy that can come with these types of jobs. The funds from the CCRTSSD have been used for the betterment of the community. They have been used to build and upgrade roads, modernize buildings, building recreational and community facilities, purchasing ambulances and equipment, and more.
We are grateful to all who have served on this board and are currently serving. We are thankful for the time, effort and well thought out plans to build our community and improve our quality of life. On the board is Commissioner Casey Hopes, Larie Bowman, David Petty, Dennis Christensen, Pace Hansen, Ralph Hardman and Kevil Axelgard.
