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Treasure County to pursue appraisal and options for sale of county rangeland amid access and easement concerns
Summary
Commissioners discussed selling roughly 3,200 acres of county land on Oct. 21, 2025, were advised that lack of insurable access would depress market value, and agreed to obtain an appraisal and explore realtor-led marketing while retaining mineral rights.
Treasure County commissioners on Oct. 21 reviewed options for selling several sections of county-owned rangeland the county has held for decades, and agreed to order a formal appraisal before any public sale or listing.
A realtor who reviewed title and access documents told the commission the county's primary challenge is a lack of insurable easement access in some places and that value could swing substantially if legal access were secured. The realtor recommended getting an independent appraisal (the realtor said such an appraisal for property this size could be a five-figure cost) and advised the county to be explicit about desired timelines to the appraiser so the appraisal can be tailored to short- or long-term marketing goals.
"We've sat on it 71 years," a commissioner said during discussion, framing the decision to move forward. The realtor discussed marketing strategies, noting options included an open-market listing through a realtor and targeted approaches to neighboring landowners; he also suggested possibilities such as easement trades or credits to resolve access issues with adjacent owners.
Commissioners discussed retaining mineral rights (the group indicated the county intends to retain mineral rights) and noted several practical approaches to raise value if an insurable right-of-way can be secured. The realtor gave a range of quick-sale estimates in the conversation and cautioned that appraisal results and access documentation would determine marketability and the proper approach to advertising the sale.
The commission directed staff to obtain price quotes for one or more independent appraisers, to gather gas-tax/road-maintenance maps to document potential access, and to return with recommendations on whether to engage a realtor after receiving appraisal results. Commissioners also asked staff to examine possible easement-swap or credit structures with adjacent landowners.
Next steps recorded on the meeting record include staff requests to solicit appraisal quotes and to evaluate legal steps needed to establish insurable easement access before final marketing or sale action.
