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Pine County approves land-advisory package, sets aside revenue for parks and blight cleanup
Summary
The Pine County Board adopted three land-related resolutions from its Land Advisory Committee: withdrawing unsold tax-forfeit parcels from sale, classifying a small parcel as Memorial Forest, and setting aside portions of tax-forfeit and timber sale revenues for park maintenance and blight cleanup.
Pine County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt a package of land-management measures recommended by the county Land Advisory Committee, approving resolutions 2026-10, 2026-09 and 2026-11.
At a regular meeting, the board approved a motion to withdraw previously offered tax-forfeited parcels from sale (resolution 2026-10), including PIDs 28.1053.000 and 42.5870.000, effective July 10, 2026. The board also classified a roughly 5-acre tax-forfeit parcel (PID 20.00520) as conservation land and designated it part of the Pine County Memorial Forest under resolution 2026-09.
The most consequential financial change came under resolution 2026-11, which amends how tax-forfeit land sale and timber sale revenues are reserved. The board approved a set-aside that directs 7.5% of tax-forfeit land sale revenues for blight cleanup, 7.5% for timber development, and 20% for acquisition and maintenance of county parks, trails and recreation areas.
During discussion, committee members also summarized the land commissioner's annual activity report and flagged several DNR trail-bridge projects that board members questioned as an efficient use of funds. In one exchange a large cost figure was raised and then corrected: Pine County Board Chair said "$202,120,000" when recounting a figure, and a commissioner later corrected the number to about "20,000" per bridge. The committee noted those bridges were DNR-built on state trail right-of-way and that the county's ability to change those projects is limited.
One commissioner recorded opposition during the roll-call vote on the package; the remainder voted to approve the resolutions. The board did not change the policy language beyond the committee recommendations and will publish the minutes and summaries as part of the official record.
The board recessed later in the meeting for a closed-session, six-month performance review of the county administrator and indicated it would reconvene briefly to adjourn.
