Access, Encumbrances and Trails

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. 

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, at (218)742-9845.