Access, Encumbrances and Trails

The Land and Minerals Department has the authority to provide temporary and permanent access over and across tax-forfeited lands by granting Leases, Easements, and Authorizations.

An EASEMENT is a permanent legal interest in a property for a specific purpose that is filed for public record in the Office of the St. Louis County Recorder/Registrar of Deeds. An EASEMENT will require a $1,000.00 deposit. If an application is approved, it may take a minimum of six months for completion.

A LEASE is a temporary encumbrance granted for a specific purpose and for a designated period of time. A LEASE is subject to review for compliance and must be renewed to remain in effect.

An AUTHORIZATION allows access for short term needs. Please contact the Land and Minerals Department for an Authorization request.

Filing an application does not guarantee that the request will be granted. All requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to the requirements set forth by the Land and Minerals Department, all applicable county ordinances; state and federal statutes, laws, rules, and guidelines shall be followed.

Easements and Leases

An EASEMENT is a permanent legal interest in a property for a specific purpose that is filed for public record in the Office of the St. Louis County Recorder/Registrar of Deeds.

A $1,000 deposit is required with the application for easement requests, which will be applied to the appraisal, administrative and land use fees. If an application is approved, it may take a minimum of six months for completion.

A LEASE is a temporary encumbrance granted for a specific purpose and for a designated period of time. A LEASE is subject to review for compliance and must be renewed to remain in effect.

Application for EASEMENT OR LEASE can be found here: Application for Access Across Tax Forfeited Lands. A fillable word document is available upon request.

Trails

The Land and Minerals Department requires an application for all proposed new trails or proposed re-routed trails that would be located on tax forfeited lands. Re-routes initiated by the Land and Minerals Department for forest management purposes do not need to complete this application.

The information provided in this application will be used in the Department's decision on whether or not authorization for using county tax forfeited lands will be granted. It will also help the Land and Minerals Department better manage tax forfeited lands for multiple uses.

For an Application for a New or Re-routed Trail Located on Tax Forfeited Land, please contact Kelly Johnson, Planner Senior, at 218-742-9845.