MARQUETTE — Keeping your eyes open for the right piece of Michigan property? Don’t miss the current auctions of surplus public land from the Department of Natural Resources.

After careful consideration of properties it manages on behalf of Michigan residents, the DNR has selected 10 that are much better suited for private ownership. The department is preparing these surplus properties — in Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Berrien, Delta, Gogebic, Midland and Oakland counties – for sale via online auctions open now through June 15 and 16.

Scott Goeman, DNR Real Estate Services manager, said that while these properties no longer fit the department’s goals of efficient management and broad access to public outdoor recreation opportunities, they could fit nicely into potential bidders’ future plans.

“We are responsible for more than 4.6 million acres of public lands, and we regularly review those lands to evaluate how well they fit with our overall management strategy,” Goeman said in a news release.. “Sometimes, it becomes clear that, due to a number of factors — for example, if a parcel is landlocked by private property, isolated from other DNR-managed land or doesn’t support optimum outdoor recreation opportunities – it makes more sense to remove that parcel from our management.

“Just because some properties are no longer right for the DNR, though, doesn’t mean they won’t be perfect for private ownership.”

The parcels fall into three main categories: waterfront properties, larger-acreage properties and a few under an acre in size.

Waterfront properties include an abandoned church parcel just under an acre, near L’Anse, with 225 feet of frontage on Lake Superior. Another property in Escanaba is a forested 2-acre property that offers frontage along the western bank of the Ford River, about a half-mile upstream from Lake Michigan.

One of the auction’s biggest parcels is a full 40 acres near Watersmeet.

A small parcel is a 0.6-acre property along Lake Shore Drive in Escanaba with views of Lake Michigan south of town.

The DNR is partnering with Sheridan Realty & Auction Co. to offer the properties through individual public auctions. Bidding on all properties is underway now, and people can continue to place bids until the end of each property’s assigned time listing on June 16 for Upper Peninsula properties.

Bidding for each property will close at the following times and dates: June 16. 11 a.m. – L’Anse property, Baraga County; noon – Watersmeet property, Gogebic County; 1 p.m. – Ford River property, Delta County; and 2 p.m. – Lakes Shore Drive property, Delta County.

Throughout the auction, everyone will be able to see the current high bid for each property.

Visit sheridanauctionservice.com to get more information about the online auctions. Anyone wishing to bid on a property must create a bidding account through the Sheridan site.

Full property details, including each parcel’s legal description, acreage and location information, is available through the Michigan.gov/LandForSale webpage.