Watchdog busts DNR for blowing off state land ownership report for 55 years

The State of Minnesota is the second largest landowner in the North Star state, the third largest landowner in the entire U.S. Small wonder then that state lawmakers passed legislation requiring the Department of Natural Resources to compile and update a catalogue of the land under state ownership every two years.

Since the law was passed back in the 1970s, the magnitude of the state’s portfolio and need for an inventory has only increased. But in the more than half century the law has been on the books, the DNR hasn’t gotten around to complying with it even once.

The agency got busted by the Minnesota State Legislative Auditor in a report and legislative hearing detailed by the Star Tribune.

The agency’s failure to publicly report its land holdings, as required under a law passed in the 1970s, garnered the most attention from lawmakers Friday when the office presented an evaluation of how well the agency complies with land acquisition processes and reporting requirements.

As part of the biennial inventory, the DNR is supposed to report on additional property the department wishes to acquire. Of Minnesota’s 51 million acres of land, the state controls 11% of it and DNR manages all but 1% of that slice.

A DNR official appearing before legislators fully acknowledged the agency somehow overlooked the law, confessing he never knew of its existence. And if DNR officials get their way, they never will have to implement it

“We accept the failure,” DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier told members of the Legislative Audit Commission. “I apologize that we’ve never done this before.”

Meier said the DNR wants the Legislature to repeal the law requiring the biennial inventory of state holdings because the information is publicly available in other formats.

Some members of the Legislative Audit Commission were in no frame of mind to let the agency off the hook.

“It’s shocking that decade after decade after decade the DNR isn’t doing what it is required to do,” said Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron.

Quam said it’s disappointing and disingenuous for the DNR to say that the biennial reporting requirement should be repealed because it would be an administrative burden to fulfill. On the other hand, Quam said, the agency is telling lawmakers the information is “already out there, you can find it.”

“I’m worked up,” he said at the hearing.

The audit found the DNR takes far longer than necessary to complete land transactions. It also reminded officials how unpopular the agency remains in some counties which oppose the state taking more land off their tax rolls.

A long-standing issue in DNR land deals is that certain counties object to further land acquisition by the agency. Auditors surveyed counties, finding that 43% of the respondents said the amount of land DNR is trying to acquire in their county is too much. Another 55% said the amount is right and 3% of respondents said it’s too little.