Wyoming gets $31.7 million in PILT payments

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Wyoming will receive $31.7 million in federal payments to compensate the state for non-taxable federal lands.

U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday the payments being made under the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.

The department says the nearly $553 million in PILT payments awarded nationwide this year is the largest amount ever allocated in the program’s 40-year history.

The payments go to counties in Wyoming with national parks, wildlife refuges and other federal recreation areas that can’t be taxed by local governments.

Natrona County received the state’s highest PILT payment at $3.6 million. Sweetwater County was next at $3.4 million, and Fremont Count third at $3.2 million.