Tax Lands Open to the Public

All Forest Crop Law (FCL) woodlands are open to the public for hunting and fishing, but some Managed Forest Law (MFL) lands are not. Under the Managed Forest Law, the landowner has the choice to enroll the land as either open to the public or closed (at a higher property tax rate). Closed MFL lands may be posted as such. More information about posting is available here.

The list of open forest tax law lands in each county is available for download below. If you would like a printed copy of the lists mailed to you, complete the order form and submit it with the appropriate fee. The lists show survey descriptions only; you may need county plat books that map ownership boundaries, roads, rivers, lakes, and some other physical land features. Plat books are available at county clerks' offices or they can be ordered directly from the company that prints them.

Although you need not ask permission to go onto FCL lands or open MFL lands, please respect the landowners' rights:

• Vehicular access does not have to be granted.
• Do not litter or damage the property.
• If the landowner has identified access lanes, stay in the lanes and be sure to close gates.
• As a courtesy to the landowner, you may wish to let the landowner know if you will be on the property -- especially if the landowner lives near the site.

2008 Open Lands Listings

To view the open lands listings for a particular county, pick a county under either the MFL or FCL headings and click on the associated view button. A PDF with the information you requested will open in a new window.

Managed Forest Law

These listings show land which is open to public access for hunting, fishing, hiking, x-country skiing and sightseeing.

Forest Crop Law

These listings show land which is open to public access for hunting and fishing only.