While most of the 4.6 million acres of DNR-managed public lands are dedicated as state forests, parks, recreation areas, water access sites, and wildlife areas, some may be available for sale or exchange. We will consider selling or exchanging these lands when doing so provides a public benefit including: increasing operating efficiency and opportunities for natural resource management and consolidating current land holdings and providing access to them.
When land sales occur, they are usually done by an advertised sealed-bid auction. The Department auctions land only after it has been reviewed, posted for public notice, and approved for disposal. Learn more about how the DNR identifies lands for disposal in the Managed Public Land Strategy.
