Public land users in South West Minnesota will soon have more room to roam. The Minnesota Land Exchange board has officially approved the sale of an 80 acre parcel to the DNR from its current owner who wished to see the land be put into the public trust.
In 2018 landowner Phillip Sonstegard reached an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to sell an 80 acre parcel of land that bordered an existing wildlife management area. The Lac qui parle county board of commissioners blocked the sale and interjected themselves between a willing buyer and seller of the land.
At a December 1st meeting of the MN Land Exchange Board the land sale received unanimous support of all three members of the board.
The Minnesota Conservation Federation supported the sale of the property to the DNR and the addition of public lands in the state of Minnesota and submitted a commentary to the board detailing out support.
More information about this issue can be read here.
