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Minnesota DNR seeks county support to add two parcels to nearby wildlife management areas; board approves
Summary
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources asked the Kandiyohi County Board to support two purchases of land already under conservation easements to expand nearby wildlife management areas; the board approved both resolutions and discussed payment-in-lieu-of-taxes projections.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources told the Kandiyohi County Board on April 15 that it plans to purchase two parcels adjacent to existing wildlife management areas and sought county resolutions of support. The board approved both resolutions by voice vote.
DNR Area Wildlife Supervisor Corey Netland described the first proposal as a 92.4-acre parcel to be added to the Rowe Prairie Potholes Wildlife Management Area. He said the parcel is under a Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) conservation easement, so it is already protected from development, and the DNR purchase would guarantee public access and allow the agency to manage vegetation and wetlands. Netland said the current property tax for the parcel was $772 in February 2024; he provided a projected payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILT) estimate of $1,665 annually under state PILT rules tied to a fraction of the purchase price.
The second parcel is under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grassland easement and has been hayed by the landowner. Netland said the DNR purchase would secure year-round habitat and management options such as prescribed burning and possible grazing. He reported the parcel’s 02/2024 tax bill was $415.02 and the projected PILT $1,320.
Netland told the board that in both cases the DNR will use license-plate “RIM match” dollars to purchase the parcels directly, and that the acquisitions were intended to build larger habitat complexes near Wilmer that provide public hunting and wildlife benefits as well as groundwater recharge and erosion control. The board asked questions about PILT calculations and the role of existing conservation easements in lowering purchase prices.
Speakers - Corey Netland, Area Wildlife Supervisor, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Chair Gardner, Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners - Commissioner Burrows; Commissioner Dwayne Anderson; Commissioner Dale Anderson (participating in motion/votes)
Why it matters: Adding protected parcels to adjoining wildlife management areas increases guaranteed public access for hunting and recreation and gives the state DNR the authority to conduct habitat management such as prescribed burns and wetland restoration. PILT projections matter for county budgets; Netland cited projected PILT numbers and said payments start at purchase and may be reassessed in future years.
What happened: The board approved resolutions backing the purchases and thanked the DNR for partnerships. Netland said DNR purchases of conserved parcels are not expected to become a routine program, but these parcels aligned strategically with existing assets.
Sources: Presentation by Corey Netland at Kandiyohi County Board of Commissioners meeting, April 15, 2025.
