July 2026 Update – SRS Applications Now Open!
The following email was sent out to counties on July 6, 2026:
Dear County Commissioners and Administrators,
As directed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is collecting county payment elections for federal fiscal year 2026 (payment year 2027). This is the first time since 2023 that counties are permitted to change their payment structures and title allocations.
How to Submit Your Election:
To complete your election, download the attached ASR Election_COLORADO form, which includes estimates for both payment methodologies (1908 or SRS). Locate your county name, choose your payment methodology, and if applicable, complete your allocations. Finally, email the completed PDF back to DOLA at mia.gonzales@state.co.us by Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
Note on SRS Allocations:
If you choose the SRS methodology, you may postpone finalizing your Title allocations until September 15, 2026, using a separate form. However, to ensure timely processing and avoid a second trailing form, we strongly recommend completing both your payment methodology and your allocations by our July 22 deadline.
For additional historical context on these payments and a breakdown of SRS allocation rules, you can optionally review the short USFS Training Video before filling out the form.
Attachments:
• Official DOLA Memorandum (PDF)
• Interactive USFS Election Form (ASR Election_COLORADO)
• Current payment methodology and title allocations (TitleAllocation_Report_Colorado)
Please reach out to Mia Gonzales at mia.gonzales@state.co.us or (303) 864-7744 if you have any questions or experience any technical issues.
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Overview from Spring 2026
CCI partnered with the National Center for Public Lands Counties for this month’s Webinar Wednesday. Staff was joined by NCPLC Director Gregory Nelson to learn more on the pending SRS election and allocation processes for counties. Payment and title allocation elections will open for FY26 SRS payments, and all required documentation along with estimated payment information will be sent to the States around May–June 2026. The first deadline—for payment elections (1908 Act vs. SRS)—is August 1, 2026. The second deadline—for Title I, II, and III allocations—is September 20, 2026. Watch the training and explore the resources below to learn more.
Resources
- Meeting Recording (YouTube)
- SRS Presentation to CCI (slide deck, includes many embedded links and QR codes)
- Secure Rural Schools – Payments Info (FS/USDA website)
- National Center for Public Lands Counties (NACO website)
- National Forest Payments: An Overview for Colorado Counties (DOLA website)
Further Learning Opportunity
For those interested in learning more on SRS and 1908 payments or simply looking to engage, NACo hosts a standing public lands office hours meeting every Friday at 11am MDT. This is a weekly opportunity to engage with the NACo government affairs team and the NCPLC team on issues related to public lands. To request the zoom meeting link, please email Kieran Boes (kboes@ccionline.org).
Contact Information
We want to hear from your county! Director Nelson is more than happy to meet with counties one on one to help answer questions and solve issues on a case-by-case basis. The same applies for all other contacts:
- SRS/Public Lands Questions: Gregory Nelson, Director of National Center for Public Lands Counties
- NACo Membership Questions: Tammy Tincher, Director of Membership Engagement
- State’s Facilitation Role Questions: Mia Gonzales, Budget Program Administrator, DOLA
- Other Questions: Kieran Boes, Member Services Coordinator, CCI