What's happening: The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will auction off more than 125 properties across the lower and upper peninsulas at the end of the summer, transferring lands from the state back onto local tax rolls. Most of the property reverted to the state for lack of tax payments, while others no longer fit a public need due to size of the parcel, lack of legal public access or development on adjacent parcels.
Where does the money go: Funds raised from the auction will go into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund, which uses the land strategy plan used in Public Act 240 in 2018. That plan requires multiple review processes to identify land use, environmental protection considerations and land swaps, guaranteeing that parcels are double- and triple-checked before heading to auction. Since 2020, the state has auctioned more than 6,500 acres.
What they're saying: “State forests, state parks, wildlife areas, trails and more, the DNR manages approximately 4.6 million acres of public land on behalf of the people of Michigan,” said Scott Whitcomb, who is director of the DNR’s Office of Public Lands. “These lands are used for a variety of recreation activities and also support the state’s economy through tourism, the timber industry and job creation.”
What's next: Eleven online auctions are scheduled and will feature land parcels by county, starting Aug. 1 and concluding Sept. 5. Land is being auctioned in the following counties: Alger, Allegan, Barry, Genesee, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Kent, Lake, Lapeer, Luce, Manistee, Marquette, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montmorency, Newaygo, Oceana, Ogemaw, Schoolcraft, Washtenaw and Wexford. A list of available properties is available at
http://www.michigan.gov/landforsale.
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