WARREN – McKean County will receive almost $1.7 million from
Allegheny National Forest timber sales during 2005, about the same
as the previous year.

ANF Supervisor Kathleen Morse made the announcement Friday,
saying the disbursements from the United States Treasury will be
made through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The counties’ share of receipts are as follows: Elk,
$1,401,550.84; Forest, $1,490,432.80; McKean, $1,696,788.89; and
Warren, $1,838,571.69. Total ANF receipts for the 2005 fiscal year
were $25,844,778.06; according to Morse, the payment was “adjusted
slightly upward to be consistent with the consumer price index for
rural areas.”

ANF receipts to McKean County for 2004 amounted to $1.65
million, a slight increase over 2003 revenue of $1.63 million, the
highest amount received in seven years.

Beginning with 2003, each of the four counties opted for
guaranteed payments rather than the previous system of splitting 25
percent of the actual revenue among themselves. In 2002, the county
had received only $770,500.33.

In the newer method, 85 percent of the money each county
receives goes to school districts and municipalities, while the
remaining 15 percent is retained by the county itself.

That means that of the 2005 payment, McKean County will retain
roughly $254,500, while its municipalities and school districts
will receive about $1,442,300 total for schools and roads
respectively. Last year, the funds were divided almost evenly
between the school districts and the municipalities, with schools
receiving just a little more.

No more complete breakdown of funds was available Friday.