Administered by the Division of Community and Regional Affairs, Commerce

Fisheries Business Tax - This program provides for an annual sharing of state fisheries business license fees and taxes collected outside of municipal boundaries by Department of Revenue to municipalities that can demonstrate they suffered significant effects from fisheries business activities. Applications are mailed to eligible municipalities by September each year; they are due by December 15. Contact Bill Rolfzen.

Fisheries Landing Tax - This program provides for an annual sharing of state fisheries landing taxes collected on floating fisheries outside of municipal boundaries by Department of Revenue to municipalities that can demonstrate they suffered significant effects from fisheries business activities. Applications are mailed to eligible municipalities by September each year; they are due by December 15. Contact Bill Rolfzen.

National Forest Receipts (NFR) - 25% of the income earned from U.S. Forest Service activities within the Chugach and Tongass National Forest is distributed to 9 boroughs, 17 cities, 4 Regional Educational Attendance Areas (REAAs), and the Metlakatla Reservation. Approximately $9 million is available annually. Applications are mailed to eligible applicants on July 1, and must be returned by August 15. Contact Bill Rolfzen.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) - The federal Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Program provides payments to local governments, typically counties or boroughs, containing certain non-taxable federally-owned lands, also known as "entitlement lands."  The PILT payments are provide through the U.S. Department of the Interior.  Federal law provides that PILT payments may be used by local governments for any governmental purpose.

The federal PILT formula calculates payments based upon the population and number of acres of entitlement lands located within the local government. Entitlement lands include lands in the National Forest System, National Park System, lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, and certain National Wildlife Reserve areas.

In the 104th Congress, Division of Community and Regional Affairs staff worked closely with Senator Stevens who sponsored legislation amending the federal PILT program, 31 USC 6901 et seq., to permit the payment of PILT monies to the State of Alaska for distribution to cities within the State's unorganized borough.  The amendment passed as part of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-333, sec 1033).  The amendments provide that the eleven federal census areas comprising Alaska's unorganized borough are to be considered units of local government for purposes of this program and a PILT payment is made to the State for each of the eleven federal census areas.  Department regulations provide that each census area payment be distributed among the eligible cities located within the boundaries of the census area on the basis of population.

Distributions under the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Program are made on October 15 of each fiscal year. Contact Bill Rolfzen.

Community [Municipal] Energy Assistance Program - The 25^th Alaska State Legislature appropriated over $48 million to municipalities and unincorporated communities under the Community Energy Assistance Program (CEAP).  These funds are provided to communities for the purpose of defraying increased energy and other costs.  In order to receive a CEAP payment, municipalities must first submit to the Division a copy of their current year operating budget, an audit or certified financial statement for the second preceding fiscal year, and a one-page CEAP budget form showing how the funds will be spent.  Eligible unincorporated communities in the unorganized borough must submit the one-page CEAP budget form and a waiver of sovereign immunity for Native village councils.

Funds are disbursed beginning in late July.  Contact Bill Rolfzen.

Payments Made to Communities:

For information on other state, federal and private grants and technical assistance programs, see the Economic Development Resource Guide.

For a comprehensive list of all Division grants and shared revenues awarded to a specific community, see the Community Funding Database.

For a list of most state and federal capital improvements in a specific community, see the Capital Project Database.