Remember when the Wisconsin Legislature told the Department of Natural Resources to designate 10,000 acres of public land to sell off - - ostensibly to raise some revenue, and former developer/agency Secretary Cathy Stepp's 'chamber of commerce mentality' DNR eagerly swung into action?
Back then, reports indicated sales could pick off small, disconnected and otherwise underutilized parcels:
Anyway, the sales are continuing and people's attention has shifted to other things, but someone with knowledge of northern Wisconsin land use and values raised an interesting question by focusing on another prime parcel in Waupaca County, where land with good hunting is in short supply and can sell for $6,000 an acre.
His question: why should high-income residents get to buy such nice acreage which now belongs to the people?
Here's a link to the current sales information and the specific parcel, 1312, describing a nearly 39-acre site with hunting opportunities and even a trout stream running through it.
At $6,000 an acre, the possible selling price is close to a quarter-million dollars - - and who knows, perhaps more - - if my source's knowledge of property values there is accurate.
And while I have no reason to doubt the acreage-value, and if it were off by say, 10% or even 25% - - the parcel's sales price is going be beyond the reach of most Wisconsin residents whose per capita annual income is about $27,900, and about $28,600 in Waupaca County, census data show.
Sound fair to you?
Back then, reports indicated sales could pick off small, disconnected and otherwise underutilized parcels:
Most of the land in the first sale is isolated and not located in property boundaries where there is high public use...Other parcels are landlocked, with no current public access.It turned out that some of the acreage was primo waterfront property and at least one big Walker campaign donor almost got a sweetheart deal before whistles were blown.
Anyway, the sales are continuing and people's attention has shifted to other things, but someone with knowledge of northern Wisconsin land use and values raised an interesting question by focusing on another prime parcel in Waupaca County, where land with good hunting is in short supply and can sell for $6,000 an acre.
His question: why should high-income residents get to buy such nice acreage which now belongs to the people?
Here's a link to the current sales information and the specific parcel, 1312, describing a nearly 39-acre site with hunting opportunities and even a trout stream running through it.
At $6,000 an acre, the possible selling price is close to a quarter-million dollars - - and who knows, perhaps more - - if my source's knowledge of property values there is accurate.
And while I have no reason to doubt the acreage-value, and if it were off by say, 10% or even 25% - - the parcel's sales price is going be beyond the reach of most Wisconsin residents whose per capita annual income is about $27,900, and about $28,600 in Waupaca County, census data show.
Sound fair to you?