Natural areas are protected using two different approaches. For landowners who wish to sell their property, the County will work with other public agencies to acquire fee title to the property. This is similar to the way most park acquisitions work. For landowners who want to retain ownership, yet protect land from future development, the County will acquire a conservation easement. The land remains private, but is permanently protected.
Eligibility Dakota County has targeted about 36,000 acres of land that is considered privately owned natural areas. A
map of eligible natural areas and list of
eligibility criteria is available to determine whether or not your land would qualify.
Cost to Apply There is no fee to apply to the program. Once the applications have been scored and ranked, and approved by the Board of Commissioners, landowners of the highest-ranking projects will be asked to provide a $750 refundable deposit to proceed with an independent appraisal of the property’s value.