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HF 714

A bill for an act relating to restrictions on the acquisition of real property by the department of natural resources.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Norlin Mommsen

HF 714 bars DNR from buying land at public auctions; requires willing donors/sellers; caps nonprofit-auction purchases at appraised value; allows plan-approved exceptions.

Subcommittee recommends passage.
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Bill Summary · HF 714

Legislative Bill Summary: HF 714

Overview

HF 714 seeks to restrict how the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) acquires real property. The bill, introduced March 3, 2025, and currently under a subcommittee recommendation for passage, would significantly limit DNR purchases by prohibiting acquisitions through public auctions and by restricting purchases from nonprofits that acquired property at auction. It also updates the commission’s authority to accept gifts or lease land for conservation purposes, subject to the bill’s new restrictions.

Purpose and Intent

  • Limit DNR’s real property acquisitions to ensure they are voluntary and consistent with conservation goals, while preventing acquisition in a manner deemed coercive or speculative.
  • Emphasize donor- or seller-driven acquisitions at not-forced terms, with a focus on appraised value and conservation planning.
  • Streamline conservation and recreation planning by allowing narrowly tailored exceptions if acquisitions support local or statewide conservation/recreation plans and are approved by the commission.

Key Provisions

1) Restrictions on acquiring real property
- The department shall not acquire real property that is available for sale at a public auction.
- Acquisitions must come from a willing donor or a willing seller who is not under compulsion by the department.
- DNR shall not acquire real property for more than the appraised value from a nonprofit corporation that directly purchased property for sale at a public auction.
- An exception exists: the department may acquire property that is available for public auction or from a nonprofit that acquired property at a public auction if the acquisition furthers a local or statewide conservation or recreation plan and is approved by the commission.
- The term “auction” includes electronic auctions, sealed-bid auctions, and conventional oral auctions.

2) Changes to gifts and use of land
- The commission may accept gifts of land or other property (subject to existing 461A.10), or the use of lands or other property for a term of years, and may improve and use the land as public state parks. This remains subject to the new restrictions and framework established by HF 714.

Who/What Is Affected

  • Primary: Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in its land acquisition practices.
  • Indirect: Nonprofit organizations that purchase land at auctions and later sell to the state, and entities seeking to donate land for public parks or conservation.
  • Public parks and conservation/recreation planning processes may be affected by the need to align acquisitions with approved plans.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Introduced: March 3, 2025.
  • Status: Subcommittee recommends passage.
  • Subcommittee: Mommsen (primary), with Gjerde and Harris.
  • Subcommittee meeting: March 4, 2025.
  • Next steps: Floor action would follow if the full chamber agrees with the recommendation.

Potential Impacts and Considerations

  • Strengthens safeguards against non-transparent or opportunistic land acquisitions.
  • Could slow certain acquisitions that might otherwise occur via public auction, unless an exception is approved under the conservation/recreation plan framework.
  • Shifts emphasis toward donor-driven or negotiated-sale acquisitions and formal commission-approved conservation planning.
  • Requires clear interpretation of “willing donor/seller” and “compulsion” to ensure consistent application.

Sponsors: Primary – Rep. Mommsen.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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