Native Prairie Tax Exemption Program
A Simple Step with Big Rewards
Enroll your native prairie in the Native Prairie Tax Exemption program and eliminate property taxes on that parcel.
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You've got something on your land most people don't have; something that's rare in Minnesota. It's a piece of native prairie. Look for it at the edge of a field, tucked into a corner of your property or along a ravine. It's too hilly, rocky, wet or steep to plow, which is why you've kept this parcel in its natural state. Maybe you've put the grass up for hay, or hunted deer and pheasant there in the fall. It's a pretty spot, with all the wildflowers, songbirds and butterflies. But you also pay yearly property taxes on this prairie, just like on the rest of your land. Instead, would you like to be rewarded for saving that bit of Minnesota prairie heritage? Simply enroll your land in the Native Prairie Tax Exemption program. And you'll no longer pay property taxes on that parcel.
What is the Native Prairie Tax Exemption Program?
This easy-to-use program helps you preserve your prairie land by exempting it from property taxes. It's simple to enroll. Just complete the form in this brochure and mail it in. You don't need to reapply, either. Your Native Prairie Tax Exemption renews itself automatically every year, as long as your land remains native prairie. The Native Prairie Tax Exemption is administered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)in cooperation with your county tax assessor.
How do I know if my land is eligible?
To be eligible for Native Prairie Tax Exemption, your prairie land must:
- never have been plowed;
- not be in use as pasture (haying is allowed);
- be at least five acres (smaller tracts with important rare species habitat or other significant prairie features may qualify);
- be mostly native prairie vegetation.
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How do I know if my land is native prairie?
You can start by discovering whether any of the native prairie species described in this brochure are on your land. Then, after you apply to the program, someone from the DNR will visit your land to determine if it qualifies for the program. If you wish, you may accompany them. They'll be happy to point out and identify the prairie wildflowers and grasses growing on your land.
How does this program reduce my property taxes?
Here's an example. Let's say you own 80 acres: 50 acres is cropland and 30 acres is a native prairie hillside too steep to farm. If the assessed value of the cropland is $1800/ac, and the native prairie is $900/ac, the total assessed value of your land is reduced by $27,000 if your prairie is enrolled in the program.
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Without Exemption |
With Exemption |
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Cropland |
(50ac x $1800/ac) |
$90,000 |
$90,000 |
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Prairie |
(30ac x $900/ac) |
$27,000 |
(exempted) |
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Total assessed value |
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$117,000 |
$90,000 |
Why is Prairie so important?
Prior to European settlement, more than 18 million acres of prairie covered Minnesota. Our prairie lands were part of the largest ecosystem in North America, which stretched from Canada to Mexico and from the Rockies to Indiana. A wealth of diverse species, habitats and cultures thrived here. With its fertile soil and nutritious grasses, prairie became the basis for an agricultural empire. Today, less than one percent of Minnesota's native prairie remains. The near elimination of native prairie has inspired many efforts to protect remaining parcels. The Native Prairie Tax Exemption is one of those efforts.
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Other ways you can help save Minnesota's native prairies
- Enroll your prairie in the Native Prairie Bank program, which allows landowners to protect native prairie on their property through a conservation easement with the Minnesota DNR. Contact the DNR Prairie Biologist (see below).
- Enroll your prairie in the Minnesota Registry of Natural Areas, which honors and recognizes owners of outstanding natural areas for their commitment to preservation. Contact The Nature Conservancy-Minnesota Chapter.
- Sell or gift your prairie. Contact the Scientific and Natural Areas Program, The Nature Conservancy-Minnesota Chapter, or the Northern Tallgrass Prairie Project.
- Maintain and improve the quality of your native prairie through prescribed burning, rotational grazing and other management practices.
For more information
DNR Prairie Biologist
Scientific and Natural Areas Program, Ecological Resources
email. prairie.biologist@state.mn.us
The Nature Conservancy-Minnesota Chapter
1313 5th Street SE, Suite 320
Minneapolis, MN 55414
tel. 612-331-0700
Northern Tallgrass Prairie Project
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge
Rt. 1, Box 25
Odessa, MN 56276
tel. 320-273-2191