On unanimous votes, the state Land Board has agreed to offer the 74 cabin site renters at Priest Lake and the 21 at Payette Lake who had been signed up for now-cancelled land exchanges an opportunity to go to public auction on their lots; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. The Payette Lake auction likely will be held in late February in Eagle; the Priest Lake lots will be auctioned at the Coeur d'Alene Resort on two dates to be set before the end of the summer, and will be subject to new 2014 land appraisals that are now in progress.

“We have ready, willing and able buyers,” said Kathy Opp, deputy director of the state Department of Lands. “We believe the endowments could benefit from another voluntary auction cycle that captures current buyer interest while motivation is high.”

The state would be guaranteed to get at least the appraised value for the lots, which would be the minimum bid. If someone other than the current lessee for the land was the successful bidder at the auction, they would have to pay the current lessee appraised or assessed value for the improvements, including the buildings on the property. When the state held a similar auction for 13 Payette Lake cabin sites in October, all 10 that had current lessees went to those current lessees; the other three were vacant, unleased lots.