Subdivision 1. Acquisition, establishment, and maintenance. Any county may acquire by purchase, lease, or gift or by condemnation as provided by law any land or water areas or interests therein within or outside of the county which the county board deems suitable for use by the residents of the county for public park purposes and related outdoor recreational purposes, may establish and name the same as county parks or other units, and may hold, improve, maintain, supervise, control, and operate the same for said purposes; provided, that no such area situated in any other county as defined by section 398.31 or otherwise shall be acquired without the approval by resolution of the county board thereof, and no such area situated within the limits of any city shall be acquired without the approval by resolution of the governing body thereof.

Subd. 2. Existing areas. Except as otherwise expressly provided, all areas heretofore or hereafter acquired by any county under any other law for public park purposes, public access to waters, or related outdoor recreational purposes shall be deemed to be county parks or other units of the county park system and subject to the provisions of sections 398.31 to 398.36 so far as applicable.

Subd. 3. Public use facilities, accommodations, and services; public or private operation. The county board of any county having a county park or parks may provide for the construction, installation, maintenance, and operation therein of suitable facilities, accommodations, and services for public use for the purposes specified in subdivision 1, or may authorize private persons or corporations to do so under leases or contracts upon such terms and conditions as the board may prescribe in the public interest.

Subd. 4. Surveys and plans. The county board of any county may provide for surveys to determine the need for county parks and the location and suitability of areas available therefor, for general plans for a county park system, and for plans for the improvement of any county park or the construction or installation of facilities, accommodations, or services for public use therein.

Subd. 5. Sale or disposal of surplus tracts. The county board of any county, after public hearing upon notice given by the county auditor by publication for two successive weeks in the official newspaper of the county, may, upon determining that any tract of land or water or interest therein acquired under or subject to the provisions of sections 398.31 to 398.36 is no longer needed for the purposes thereof, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of such tract or interest upon such terms as it deems best in the public interest, or may provide for the use thereof for other purposes, so far as not inconsistent with any lawful restrictions on the use or disposal of such tracts or interests therein.

Subd. 6. Cooperation with other agencies. A county or any other governmental subdivision or public agency of the state may be a party to a joint cooperative project, undertaking, or enterprise with any one or more other counties as defined in section 398.31 or otherwise or other governmental subdivisions or public agencies for any purpose under sections 398.31 to 398.36 upon such terms as may be agreed upon between the governing bodies or authorities concerned not inconsistent with law. Without limiting the effect of the foregoing provision or any other provision of sections 398.31 to 398.36, any such county or other governmental subdivision or public agency, with respect to any of said purposes, may act under and be subject to the provisions of section 471.59, as now in force or hereafter amended, or any other appropriate law now in force or hereafter amended, or any other appropriate law now in force or hereafter enacted providing for joint or cooperative action between governmental subdivisions or other public agencies.

History: 1961 c 512 s 2; 1973 c 123 art 5 s 7