St. Louis County will see $1.275 million added to the bottom line of the budget, following the first timber auction of the year.  The right to harvest, remove, and sell trees from a total of 25  tax-forfeited land tracts was offered up for silent, sealed bids over a conditional three year period.

According to the counties Land and Minerals Department, 18 contracts were successfully awarded to a variety of small and mid-sized logging companies.  The revenue from the auction rights will be applied directly to the bottom line of the departments operating budget; any excess is apportioned to the counties forest development fund and other taxing districts like townships ,municipalities, and school districts.

St. Louis County manages more than 900,000 acres of tax-forfeited land.  Most of it is utilized for forest management.  However, some of the unneeded parcels are sold off as a way of increasing revenue through property tax.

Remaining land tracts that weren't bid on will now be available to loggers on a first-come, first-served basis.

Four more tax-forfeited timber auctions will be held before 2018 is over.  Additional auctions will happen on May 10 (via a live auction), August 2 (via a sealed-bid process), August 16 (Utilizing an intermediate-oral auction process), and on November 1 (via live auction).  All live auctions are held at the Town Hall in Cotton.

 

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