The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is offering state lands in Carlton, Clearwater, St. Louis, and Wadena counties during its annual public land sale Dec. 2-16. These rural properties may appeal to adjacent landowners or offer recreational opportunities such as space for hunting or camping.
The 2025 public land auction will help the DNR meet its fiduciary responsibility to K-12 public education. This December, 188 of the 190 acres for sale are school trust lands. One of the trust parcels for sale in St. Louis County offers 67 acres of recreational space near Island Lake Reservoir, located northwest of Duluth.
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 four parcels of school trust land that may be difficult to manage and have limited opportunities to generate income. Revenue from the trust sales will go into the Permanent School Fund, which supports 850,000 students in K-12 public education by distributing revenue to every public and charter school.
2025 December land sale
The December online public land auction partners with the Minnesota Department of Administration at MNBid, Minnesota’s Surplus Services online auction website. The sale properties listed below will become available to view and bid on at MNBid.mn.gov on Tuesday, December 2. Bidding will close Thursday, December 16, 2025. Register for an account to ask questions or bid on properties via the MNBid site. If you are interested in purchasing any of the properties, please carefully review the Instructions for Online Auction Terms and Conditions of Sale. The instructions contain important information about the down payment required for the sale and other DNR auction sale procedures.
December auction sale properties
| Sale # | County | Parcel name | Acres | Minimum bid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09274 | Carlton | Silver Brook Twp. Hwy 23 | 2.57 | $5,000 |
| 15052 | Clearwater | Popple Twp. S15 | 40 | $30,000 |
| 15053 | Clearwater | Popple Twp. S11 | 40 | $30,000 |
| 69060 | St. Louis | Fredenberg Twp #2 | 67.90 | TBD |
| 80247 | Wadena | Orton Twp. S12-2 | 40 | $23,000 |
DNR land sale program
Minnesota is the largest landowner in the state, and the DNR manages 5.6 million acres of public land. The DNR continuously works to improve public land through strategic land asset management and regularly evaluates the state's land holdings, looking for ways to improve conservation, recreation, and economic opportunities.
This active management of our land asset portfolio is one way the DNR meets its responsibility to the public and contributes to Minnesota's exceptional quality of life. Land sales are a component of this work. The DNR coordinates the statutory and program requirements to sell state-owned lands that no longer meet conservation or recreation needs or are isolated from larger management areas or parcels. The most common way the DNR sells land is by public auction.
The state makes surplus land available for purchase to all persons except current Minnesota Department of Natural Resources employees. Minnesota Statute sec. 92.71
- Why does the DNR sell land?
- DNR works to improve its public land asset and sales are an important tool in managing public lands.
- The DNR sells land because:
- The land no longer meets conservation or recreation objectives.
- Sale allows the state to maximize recreation, conservation and economic opportunities for citizens.
- Sale resolves conflicting management uses.
- Sale meets DNR’s fiduciary responsibilities on trust lands.
- The legislature directs DNR to sell land.
- Proceeds from sales are often re-invested in purchasing higher quality parcels.
- How does the DNR sell land?
- DNR sells land at public auctions. By following statutory requirements for the public auction the DNR provides a fair and open process to all members of the public.
- DNR staff select and review parcels prior to sale.
- The price is determined by appraisal staff or outside appraisers. By law, the price of the parcel cannot be less than the estimated or appraised value.
- Notices of land sales are provided to other state agencies, local units of government, adjacent landowners and published on DNR’s land sale webpage.
- When does the DNR sell land?
- Public auctions are held once a year in the fall.
Parcels are advertised at the MN State Fair for the upcoming fall public auction.
- Where does the DNR sell land?
- Auctions are generally held at DNR or county offices near the parcels to be sold.
The DNR also has authority to sell land via online auction.
- Who are the main contacts at the DNR for land sales?
- This web page, land sale email, or land sale phone line, 651-259-5432.
- Regional land operations staff. See Lands and Minerals regional operations to identify your regional contact.
- What if I have a question about a specific parcel of land the DNR manages?
- Please have the legal description, including the county, township, section, range and forty available. It is also helpful to have a county tax identification number available.
Contact Regional land operations staff in the region where the county is located. See Lands and Minerals regional operations to identify your regional contact.
You can also contact the DNR through the land sale email, or land sale phone line, 651-259-5432.
- What happens when lands for sale are within tribal boundaries?
- Minnesota state law says that tribal nations have the right of first refusal which allows tribes to purchase a specific property offered for sale before that property can be sold to anyone else.
- If properties are still available for sale, can I make an offer?
- Minnesota Constitution says that trust lands may only be sold by public auction. So, if trust lands do not sell at the auction, DNR can not offer those unsold parcels over the counter. Trust land parcels may be offered for sale again at a future public land sale. The DNR may offer non-trust lands over the counter after a public sale.
The Minnesota Department of Transportation and Department of Administration also periodically sell surplus property. Click on the links to find out more.