Land advisory committee recommends declining 323-acre donation because of easement restrictions and lost tax revenue

Summary

Pine County’s land advisory committee recommended declining a proposed donation of roughly 323 acres because easement restrictions would prevent memorial-forest designation and would remove the parcel from the tax rolls without generating PILT revenue; the board voted to deny the donation while keeping dialogue open with the Land Trust for Public Lands and the state.

The Pine County land advisory committee reviewed a proposed donation of approximately 323 acres and recommended that the county decline the parcel because deed restrictions and easement terms would prevent the county from achieving key management objectives and would not provide Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) revenue.

Committee members said the parcel’s easement precludes establishing a memorial forest and limits access to gravel deposits on the property, which reduces the county’s operational flexibility. Staff noted the county would remove the acreage from the tax rolls without receiving PILT, and that much of the tract is already adjacent to several thousand acres of memorial forest, so the additional land would add little benefit for county ownership.

A motion was made to decline the donation while maintaining communications with the Land Trust for Public Lands and the state; the board approved the motion by roll call.

Staff said the donor or the land trust could still transfer or sell the parcel to the state, which could accept it into public ownership and make it eligible for PILT. The board asked staff to calculate the PILT-equivalent tax revenue for the acreage and report back.