Land money helps county

This year, Minnesota’s 87 counties are the beneficiaries of $36.3 million in aid that helps support public lands and provide critical links within the state’s public recreation system.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources highlighted the payments as part of National Public Lands Day on Sept. 25. Carlton County received about $450,000 this year, just above the average of $417,000 for each county.

Each year, the state’s Department of Revenue distributes annual payments for Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), a property tax relief program that offsets tax revenues not collected on public la...