Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo led a bipartisan call with 23 of their Senate colleagues calling for a one-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools program in any year-end funding measures.  The letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Charles Schumer says the program is a critical lifeline for over 775 counties in over 40 states to help fund schools, road maintenance, law enforcement, and search and rescue operations, adding Congress has an obligation to counties with large amounts of tax-exempt forestlands.  The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act was first introduced in 2000.  Earlier this month, Crapo and Wyden introduced stand-alone legislation to extend SRS by one year, and they hope Senate leadership will include that measure in its year-end funding proposal.  Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Washington’s Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray also signed the letter.