Minnesota Statutes Conservation (Ch. 84A-84D) § 84A.20. County action to set off areas

(1) vesting and revesting the state with title to lands suitable primarily for the development of forests and the prevention of forest fires, and for experimenting in and practically advancing afforestation and reforestation;

(2) impounding, controlling, and regulating the waters of meandered lakes and the flow of natural streams in the state; or

(3) other state purposes.

Subd. 2. County proposal to state. (a) The board of county commissioners of any county may by resolution propose to the state that one or more areas in the county be taken over by the state for afforestation, reforestation, flood control projects, or other state purposes. The projects are to be managed, controlled, and used for the purposes in subdivision 1 on lands to be acquired by the state within the projects, as set forth in sections 84A.20 to 84A.30. The county board may propose this if the county contains lands suitable for the purposes in subdivision 1.

(b) The area taken over must include lands that have been assessed for all or part of the cost of the establishment and construction of public drainage ditches under state law, and on which the assessments or installments are delinquent. A certified copy of the county board's resolution must be filed with the department and considered and acted upon by the department. If approved by the department, it must then be submitted to, considered, and acted upon by the executive council. If approved by the Executive Council, the proposition must be formally accepted by the governor. Acceptance must be communicated in writing to and filed with the county auditor.