Michigan DNR schedules August land auctions
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LANSING -- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is preparing 97 properties for sale via online auctions next month.
River frontage, lake frontage and forested acreage surrounded by private ownership -- these characteristics describe some of the parcels that will be available Aug. 4-28. Four 40-acre parcels in northern Dickinson County are among those being auctioned.
Kerry Heckman, DNR forest lands and special projects administrator, said though it might seem counter-intuitive for the DNR to make any land available for sale, it's important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited. That's due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that negatively affects public use such as hunting.
"More importantly, the proceeds from our surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund," Heckman said. "Those dollars are specifically used to acquire other properties that are more usable by residents and visitors, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities throughout the state."
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership. These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR's public land strategy -- one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018.
This year's auctions include land parcels in more than two dozen counties throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Twelve online auctions will be offered in August, featuring available land parcels by county, including these for the Upper Peninsula:
-- Aug. 14, Alger, Chippewa, Delta and Luce counties
-- Aug. 18, Baraga, Dickinson, Houghton and Menominee counties
Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at https://www.tax-sale.info/. Anyone interested in bidding on a property must register before the property's auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction.
The "interactive" bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
A detailed list of offered properties, including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information, is available at Michigan.gov/LandForSale. Interested bidders are encouraged to review DNR Land Sales: Terms and Conditions.
There are over 20 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Much of the property offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed public lands, which creates some management challenges. Other parcels are included because of their limited public recreation benefits.
Most properties were designated as "surplus" during the DNR's state land review, which aimed to examine isolated parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary. Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review, as they have been confirmed to positively contribute to quality outdoor recreation.
Scott Whitcomb, acting DNR Lands and Facilities chief, said the department sought and accepted public input from around the state during the land review process that helps determine which parcels eventually are offered at auction. Land review was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
Separate from the August online auctions, the DNR offers additional properties -- listed for sale at their former minimum bid prices -- that were not sold in previous auctions. These properties are available for immediate purchase only via the BuyNow list.