Dear Neighbor,
The DNR recently put out notice that it is conducting two auctions next week – including one in Wadena on Wednesday, Oct. 30 – to sell off parcels of state land.
While that may sound intriguing, there is a catch: Six of the seven parcels going up for bid in Wadena include “There is no legal access to this parcel” in the description. The seventh is a .48-acre undeveloped parcel on the southeast shore of Big Pine Lake, eight miles from Perham.
This sale of mainly useless land may be a sad attempt for the DNR to comply with conditions imposed upon it when the agency purchased 1,200 acres in Wadena County a number of years ago. In purchasing those 1,200 acres, the DNR was directed to sell off 1,200 other acres.
The last time I checked, the DNR had sold a grand total of 70 acres over the last five years. It’s easy to see why sales have been slow once you look at what properties the DNR is putting on the market.
I see this as an insult to taxpayers but, hey, if you happen to be in the market to spend $30,000 for 40 acres of swampland you can’t legally access, the DNR might have a great deal for you. There’s another auction next Tuesday in St. Paul with a separate batch of questionable state parcels up for sale. Click here for more on what is available at both auctions.
-Steve