State-owned land in 34 counties is being offered for sale beginning Wednesday, Oct.21, as a result of the Department of Natural Resources' review of state-owned property. Over 35 parcels in Iron and Marquette counties are especially featured in this sealed bid auction.

The auction is part of the DNR's Land Consolidation Strategy, an ongoing review of all state-owned land that is outside the boundaries of a state park, forest, game area, or recreation area.

Information on the auction, and other land available for purchase, including photos, property descriptions, terms and conditions, forms and information on how to submit a bid is available at: www.michigan.gov/landforsale.

Property information, bid forms, and offer to purchase forms also are available upon request to the Office of Land and Facilities, P.O. Box 30448, Lansing, MI 48909-7948, or by calling (517) 373-1240.

Bids on the parcels to be sold by auction must be postmarked by Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. The bid opening will be Wednesday Dec. 16, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. at the DNR office in Lansing.

Among the properties being sold in Iron County are three parcels each with over 1,000 feet of frontage on the Paint River - two parcels in Crystal Falls Township and one parcel in Bates Township. These attractive properties are not easily accessible by the general public. Therefore they are being offered for sale, with the proceeds used to acquire replacement lands of greater recreational potential for the public.

Also included are several properties in which the state owns a fractional undivided interest and other owners also own an interest. These offerings provide a rare opportunity to acquire a state-owned partial interest in land. It is recommended that bidders for undivided interests make sure that they clearly understand what is being sold.

Other parcels available by auction include:

Iron County -- properties in seven townships. Including: Crystal Falls Twp. - 20 acres, nicely wooded, with frontage on Lind Road; Iron River Twp. - Several parcels adjacent to National Forest land, offering significant recreation opportunities; Stambaugh Twp. - 155 acres with road frontage on 3 sides (undivided interest).

Marquette County -- properties in seven townships. This includes: Ely Twp. - two tracts, approximately 80 acres each, mostly wooded with mature hardwood component.

A complete list of parcels offered for sale is attached.

Additional parcels are available for immediate purchase in the following counties: Alpena, Baraga, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Chippewa, Clare, Crawford, Dickinson, Gladwin, Gogebic, Houghton, Kalamazoo, Lake, Leelanau, Livingston, Mackinac, Macomb, Manistee, Mason, Montcalm, Oakland, Oceana, Ontonagon, Osceola, St. Clair, Van Buren, Washtenaw, and Wexford. These parcels were previously offered by sealed bid auction. Information on these parcels is posted at: www.michigan.gov/landforsale under "View Land for Sale."

Proceeds from the sale of these surplus state-owned parcels go into a fund from which the DNR can purchase additional recreational land. The proceeds from the sales do not go into the state's General Fund.

Since 2004, the DNR has reviewed state-owned land in all 83 Michigan counties to determine which parcels would be disposed of and which would be retained. These parcels are outside of project boundaries for all state parks, recreation areas, state game and wildlife areas, and state forests.

The state reserves aboriginal antiquities and may reserve mineral rights on the parcels being sold. The DNR recommends all purchasers do their own research as to suitability of the parcel for the purpose intended, and conduct a personal inspection of the desired parcels whenever possible. The DNR makes no representation or claim as to fitness for purpose, access, condition or restrictions.

Additional parcels will be sold by a sealed bid auction held in mid-year 2010. Counties with parcels in review for the 2010 auction include Alcona, Antrim, Cheboygan, Crawford, Kalkaska, Montmorency, Oscoda, Presque Isle. Information will be posted at www.michigan.gov/landforsale when available.

More information on the DNR's Land Consolidation Strategy is available on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr under the "Land Consolidation Strategy" link on the home page.