When you partner with the Minnesota Land Trust, you’re not just preserving your hunting land, you’re protecting Minnesota’s hunting tradition and your legacy on the land. If you own 40 acres or more of undeveloped land in Minnesota, you might be eligible for grant funding to permanently protect it—ensuring future generations of hunters have plenty of space to explore and abundant game to pursue.
Find Out if Your Property Qualifies
Submit a short form (under 2 minutes) and we’ll be in touch to let you know if your property could qualify for a grant-funded program.
Or send an email to land@mnland.org with your name, contact information, the acreage and parcel number(s) of the property you’d like to protect.
The Standafer Family Stands for Conservation
When I bought the property thirty years ago, I wasn’t thinking about passing it on to the kids. But as time marches on, and it becomes obvious that it’s going to become harder to find places to hunt, it became important to me to do the right thing for this land and tie it up.
—Paul Standafer, hunter and landowner protecting 185 acres and over 4 miles of shoreline.
Join the Standafers and hundreds more just like them across Minnesota to make a difference today and for future generations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Protected Properties
Can I have trails and/or operate an ATV or snowmobile on my protected private property?
Yes!
Can I hunt and fish on my protected private property?
Yes!
If my land is protected through a conservation easement, do I have to open it up to the public?
No. Your land continues to be held as private property that you own. The only change to who accesses the property after a conservation easement is in place is to allow the Land Trust to complete a monitoring visit each year.
Can I have a deer stand on my protected private property?
Yes!
Can I maintain a wildlife food plot on my protected private property?
Yes!
Can I sell my property in order to protect it?
Yes, landowners can choose to sell or donate their land to a land trust like Northern Waters Land Trust. The land is then transferred to public management, making it accessible for all to enjoy. Northern Waters Land Trust facilitates these transfers to public ownership, giving your family the ability to continue visiting and enjoying the land while knowing it’s protected and open for community use.
The Minnesota Land Trust & Northern Waters Land Trust
The Minnesota Land Trust and Northern Waters Land Trust work together to help Minnesota landowners preserve natural lands through conservation easements, or land sales or donations for conservation purposes. Together we have protected over 90,000 acres of natural lands and hundreds of miles of fragile shoreline providing wildlife habitat, clean water, and outdoor experiences for generations to come.
Learn more about the Minnesota Land Trust and Northern Waters Land Trust.
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Funding for this program is provided by the Outdoor Heritage Fund as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
