The Lands
An Overview
School trust lands are publicly owned and managed yet have a different legal purpose than other public lands. They were established in the state constitution to be held in trust for a single and specific purpose—to generate revenue for Minnesota's public schools.
Generating Revenue
Revenue on school trust lands is generated from three major categories—mineral leasing and royalty payments, forest management activities, and real estate transactions. The total net revenue is equal to gross revenues generated after the deduction of operating costs.
Recreation
Minnesota generally allows free public recreation on school trust lands. Hundreds of thousands of recreationalists use these lands each year for activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, snowmobiling, and off-highway vehicle use unless access is constrained by higher-revenue uses such as mining, timber management, or infrastructure development.