Wadena and Todd counties receive $279,000 for Payment in Lieu of Taxes
PILT is one important way Minnesota’s public lands contribute to the state’s quality of life and natural resource-based economy
This year, Minnesota’s 87 counties are the beneficiaries of $36.3 million in aid that helps support public lands and provide critical links within the state’s public recreation system. Wadena County’s payment is $121,952.36 and Todd County receives $157,363.35.
Each year, the state’s Department of Revenue distributes annual payments for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), a property tax relief program that offsets tax revenues not collected on public lands. Counties have received PILT payments annually since 1979 in place of property taxes on 5.6 million acres of state-managed lands and 2.8 million acres of county-managed tax-forfeited lands. Money for the payments comes from the state’s general fund.
Every county in Minnesota has public lands within its borders and receives an annual PILT payment.
The state makes PILT payments on public lands including state parks and forests, scientific and natural areas, wildlife management areas, school trust lands, and Consolidated-Conservation lands, as well as county-managed tax-forfeited lands. Payment rates vary according to land type and generally range from $2 per acre to three-quarters of 1% of the appraised value.
A breakdown of PILT payments for each county is posted on the Minnesota Department of Revenue website at https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/sites/default/files/2021-06/pilt_bycounty.pdf.
More information about Minnesota’s public land portfolio, PILT payments, and a brief history of major public land transactions are available on the DNR’s website at mndnr.gov/publiclands.
Comments