Land Acquisition Guidelines

When purchasing land and conservation easements with state funding through the recommendations of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources and Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, the DNR has several guidelines that must be followed in order to reimburse funds used for purchasing land or conservation easements.

  1. All applicable items in Attachment E must be met before the DNR will reimburse land acquisition or conservation easement purchases. The Attachment E updates only apply to those grant agreements that have the Attachment E requirements in the original grant agreement. Grantees will be held to the land and easement acquisition terms of their original grant agreement unless an amendment is requested and executed to change to the Attachment E reporting requirements. Grantees must follow the most updated version of Attachment E (linked below).
  2. Land acquisition funds can be transferred by the DNR to the grantee no earlier than 1 day prior to the closing date.

Required pre-closing items (***-items #9-12 only apply to LCCMR acquisitions)

  1. A copy of the site assessment document
  2. A copy of all appraisals and appraisal reviews
  3. State Reviewed Appraisal Certificate, if required,
  4. The full legal description of the real property or interest in the real property purchased
  5. Any required survey
  6. Landowner's Disclosure Form (may be contained in the appraisal addenda),
  7. Evidence of title through a title opinion prepared by an attorney licensed to practice in MN or a title commitment for title insurance
  8. Evidence of the amount paid or to be paid for the real property or interest in real property (signed purchase agreement or signed option agreement along with an option exercise letter),
  9. Written approval from the commissioner of natural resources***
  10. Most recent tax assessed value*** (must be submitted to the LCCMR as well),
  11. Most recent tax statement of the real property*** (must be submitted to LCCMR as well), and
  12. Amount the recipient plans to offer for the interest in real property*** (must be submitted to the LCCMR as well).
Required post-closing items (required within 10 days after the closing date)
  1. Settlement Statement
  2. Confirmation of bank payment
Required post-closing items (required within 60 days after the closing date)
  1. A copy of the recorded deed or easement language
  2. Evidence of successfully recording a notice of funding restrictions
  3. Mapping geographic information (for Minnesota Law 2013 Outdoor Heritage Fund grantees only)
Reimbursable eligible costs for land acquisitions
  1. The value the grant recipient paid for the property up to 110% of the appraised value,
  2. Appraisals and Appraisal Reviews,
  3. Surveys,
  4. Title Commitment,
  5. Loan costs for holding the property,
  6. Property taxes paid by the grant recipient from the date of its acquisition provided the property will be conveyed to a government entity during the grant period,
  7. Attorney fees for the specific acquisition (i.e. title opinion),
  8. Staff time spent on the specific acquisition,
  9. Abstracting, recording fees, and other closing fees,
  10. Penalty payments made for prepayment of a mortgage loan,
  11. Title Insurance, and
  12. Phase 1 Site Assessments
Reimbursable eligible costs upon prior approval
  1. Phase 2 Site Assessments,
  2. Other due diligence expenses, carrying costs, and transactional costs not listed above, and
  3. Mineral Reports
Land acquisition forms

Land Acquisition Reporting Procedure (Attachment E)

Attachment E Checklist Sign Ordering Website

Legacy and Trust Fund Sign Use Policy

Notice of Funding Restrictions

Reference material

DNR Appraisal Management Website

USPAP Appraisal Statute

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