On December 17, the State Board of Land Commissioners(Land Board) approved the Idaho Department of Lands recommendation to offer the voluntary auction opportunity to 21 Cottage site lessees around Payette Lake in McCall. In October the Land Board did not approve of three land exchanges that were proposed by Cottage site lessees which would have traded dozens of cottage sites for land in other parts of Idaho. It is this group of Cottage site lessees that will have the opportunity late February or early March to elect to put their land up for auction. The Idaho Department of Land felt that these lessees are ready, willing and financially able buyers who are highly motivated and already have been well vetted through the land exchange due diligence process.

The IDL is constitutionally required to hold a public auction for the direct sale of state endowment trust lands, so these Cottage site lots will be available for anyone to bid. Local, regional, and national marketing of the sites will take place in an effort to increase competitive bidding on the sites, consistent with the constitutional mandate of maximize income from the sale and use of the lands. The auction will be for the land only and if a bidder other than the current lessee wins the auction, that person must pay the current lessee the market value of their personal property (ie. value of the cabin).

I will be posting more information about these sites around Payette Lake here in McCall and information about the upcoming auction. If you are interested in learning more or being involved please don’t hesitate to call or email me.