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Resident says she was 'blindsided' by DNR donation of neighboring property
Summary
A Pine County resident told the board she learned that a neighbor’s land was being donated to the Department of Natural Resources for public use and said she and others were not notified; county staff said the packet contained the required statutory notice and the board has no approval role.
During the public forum Becky Hen said she was "totally blindsided" when she learned the property adjacent to her home had been offered to the Department of Natural Resources and the Trust for Public Land. Hen said she only learned of the transaction via a 7:47 a.m. notification and raised concerns about existing shooting on the neighbor's property and the prospect of expanded public access.
"We were totally blindsided by this," Hen said, asking why neighbors were not notified and requesting contact information for the agencies. County Administrator Dave Mankie responded that a letter in the meeting packet included Department of Natural Resources contact information and that the packet fulfilled the statutory notification requirement; he emphasized the board does not approve or disapprove the transaction and recommended Hen follow up directly with DNR and the Trust for Public Land for details.
The board acknowledged receipt of the correspondence in the packet later in the meeting and explicitly noted acknowledgment does not equal approval of the underlying land transaction.
