The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will offer state lands in Aitkin, Cook, Itasca, and St. Louis counties during its annual public land sale Nov. 7-21. These rural and lakeshore properties may appeal to adjacent landowners or offer recreational opportunities such as space for a small cabin or camping.
Annual land sales help the DNR refine its land holdings and this November’s sale will help the DNR meet its fiduciary responsibility to K-12 public education. Land is sold through a public auction in accordance with state statutes.
The November online public land auction is in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Administration at MNBid.mn.gov (mnbid.mn.gov), Minnesota’s Surplus Services online auction website. Properties will be available for bidding from Thursday, Nov. 7, through Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. The DNR land sale webpage (mndnr.gov/landsale) has more information about the online public land auction, a preview of lands for sale, and details on how to register for an account to bid on properties.
Before participating in the auction, anyone interested in bidding on a property must register (mnbid.mn.gov/registration) for an account on MNBid.mn.gov (mnbid.mn.gov). People interested in bidding on the available parcels can visit the DNR land sale webpage (mndnr.gov/landsale) to obtain property data sheets, terms and conditions of sale, and instructions for participating in the MNBid system.
To ensure that Minnesota has the best public land offerings, the DNR sells land that no longer meets the state’s conservation, recreation or economic needs. All properties for sale this November are school trust lands. Trust lands were granted to the state by the federal government to generate a continual source of income for public education. The DNR is selling six parcels of school trust land that may be difficult to manage and have limited opportunities to generate income. Revenue from the one-time sale of these lands will be allocated to the Permanent School Fund to support K-12 public education across Minnesota.
All are welcome to participate in the public auction. Visit the DNR land sale webpage (mndnr.gov/landsale) for more information. For questions about a specific property, call 651-259-5432, 888-646-6367, or email min.landsale@state.mn.us.
