Title-Check Lot #10014: A forested, 40-acre property with frontage on Fairmont Court near Mancelona.
Nearly 100 parcels available; sale proceeds will be used to acquire land that better fits the DNR’s outdoor recreation, conservation goals
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is busy preparing 97 properties for sale via online auctions later this summer. River frontage, lake frontage and forested acreage surrounded by private ownership — these characteristics describe some of the parcels that will be available Aug. 4-28.
Kerry Heckman, DNR forest lands and special projects administrator, said though it might seem counter-intuitive for the DNR to make any land available for sale, it’s important to note that the public benefit of some properties is severely limited. That’s due to factors such as lack of legal public access, size limitations that prevent appropriate public use, and development on adjacent privately owned land that negatively affects public use such as hunting.
“More importantly, the proceeds from our surplus-land sales are deposited into the Land Exchange Facilitation Fund,” Heckman said. “Those dollars are specifically used to acquire other properties that are more usable by residents and visitors, protect important natural resources and provide accessible, quality recreation opportunities throughout the state.”
For all of those reasons, the DNR determines some properties to be more suitable for private ownership.
These surplus land sales are a regular part of the DNR’s public land strategy (one supported and further defined by the Michigan Legislature with the passage of Public Act 240 in 2018). And since such parcels were determined to be better suited for private ownership, they could prove to be the perfect fit for the right owners.
Where are parcels located?
This year’s auctions include land parcels in more than two dozen counties throughout Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Twelve online auctions will be offered in August, featuring available land parcels by county:
• Aug. 4 – Lapeer County
• Aug. 6 – Allegan and Berrien counties
• Aug. 7 – Livingston County
• Aug. 14 – Alger, Chippewa, Delta and Luce counties
• Aug. 18 – Baraga, Dickinson, Houghton and Menominee counties
• Aug. 19 – Crawford, Kalkaska, Ogemaw, Oscoda, Otsego and Roscommon counties
• Aug. 20 – Antrim and Charlevoix counties
• Aug. 21 – Alpena, Cheboygan, Iosco and Presque Isle counties
• Aug. 25 – Oakland County
• Aug. 26 – Oceana County
• Aug. 27 – Lake County
• Aug. 28 – Jackson County
How bidding works
Twelve online auctions will be offered between Aug. 4 and Aug. 28. Interested bidders may preregister and get more information about the online auction schedule at https://www.tax-sale.info/
Anyone interested in bidding on a property must register before the property’s auction date. Absentee bids can be made up to 30 days before an auction. The “interactive” bidding portion of an auction will open at 10 a.m. on that auction date. At that time, bidders will be able to see current high bids for each property. Bidders can continue to place bids on a property until 7 p.m. when bidding closes and the winning bidder is determined.
A detailed list of offered properties, including minimum bid, acreage, maps and location information, is available at Michigan.gov/LandForSale. Interested bidders are encouraged to review DNR Land Sales: Terms and Conditions.
Sale property details
Properties for sale range in size from under an acre to 120 acres. Many of the surplus properties highlighted in the auction are in Allegan, Baraga, Delta, Jackson, Kalkaska and Livingston counties. There are over 20 properties available that are 40 acres or larger, mostly throughout the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula.
Notable waterfront properties that are accessible in the Lower Peninsula include two properties in Lapeer County on Lake Nepessing (Lot #s 10075 and 10076), a Jackson County property with frontage on Little Pleasant Lake (Lot #10059) and three properties in Oakland County on Walled Lake (Lot #10089) and Buckhorn Lake (Lot #s 10092 and 10093).
Lot #10026 in Charlevoix County is accessible and offers views of Lake Michigan on Beaver Island. A notable waterfront property in the Upper Peninsula is in Delta County near Lake Michigan (Lot #10042).
In addition, notable large-acreage properties that are accessible include a 40-acre property in Antrim County along Fairmont Court (Lot #10014), a 40-acre Cheboygan County property along N. Old Mackinaw Road (Lot #10028), a 40-acre parcel in Delta County on Brampton 27.5 Road (Lot #10037), three 80-acre properties in Lake County on S. Forman Road (Lot #10073) and W. 32nd Street (Lot #s 10074 and 10075), and a 40-acre Otsego County property along Hayes Tower Road (Lot #10098).
Many of the sale parcels are forested and/or have road or river frontage but are better suited for private ownership.
Much of the property offered in these auctions is isolated from other DNR-managed public lands, which creates some management challenges. Other parcels are included because of their limited public recreation benefits. Most properties were designated as “surplus” during the DNR’s state land review, which aimed to examine isolated parcels that are 200 acres or smaller with a substantial private-public boundary. Certain properties, such as boating access sites and designated trails, were removed from the review, as they have been confirmed to positively contribute to quality outdoor recreation.
Knowing how much Michiganders value access to public lands and outdoor traditions and recreation, Scott Whitcomb, acting DNR Lands and Facilities chief, said the department sought and accepted public input from around the state during the land review process that helps determine which parcels eventually are offered at auction. Land review was conducted on a county-by-county basis throughout the entire state.
Accompanying images of some of the offered properties are available in this photo folder. All photos courtesy of Michigan DNR except for Lot #10089 (Novi), which is provided via Google Street View.
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