Community group forms nonprofit, signs purchase agreement for 80-acre Sawtooth Bluff property
Feb 12, 2026 12:59PM ● By Content Editor
Sawtooth Bluff "overlooks" downtown Grand Marais. Photo from Boreal Community Media files
By Laura Durenberger-Grunow - Boreal Community Media - February 12, 2026
Preserve the Bluff, a newly formed nonprofit, has signed an agreement to purchase 80 acres of undeveloped land on the Sawtooth Bluff from landowner John Scheef for $475,000. The organization, which is dedicated to preserving the ecological and scenic value of the Grand Marais watershed and bluff area, is scheduled to close on the property in mid-February 2026. The board of directors consists of President Sue Abrahamsen, VP/Treasurer Ann Belleman, and Secretary Bob Seng.
The nonprofit grew from a grassroots coalition of homeowners, community members, and retired natural resource professionals who began meeting in early 2025. The group formed specifically to prevent residential development on the 80-acre "John Scheef Property," a parcel located above and west of the Sawtooth Bluff. Adjoining county-owned land (including the proposed Sawtooth Bluff Regional Park), the property is a critical component of both the Grand Marais city watershed and the local "viewshed," which provides the backdrop visible from the downtown area.
According to a press release from Preserve the Bluff (PTB), the group, prior to the official nonprofit formation, went through "months of negotiation and collaboration" between a variety of stakeholders, including "local citizens, generous pro-bono and paid lawyers, potential financial donors, and many others."
Additionally, the release stated that PTB contacted several organizations with "similar interests" to request financial sponsorship. "In the end, the group had to form its own non-profit if they wanted a shot at purchasing the land," they said.
The valuation of the 80-acre parcel has been a point of disagreement. Initially, the Minnesota Land Trust valued the land at $175,900, while the County Assessor estimated a range of $120,000 to $160,000 based on the sale of tax-forfeited properties. However, John Scheef, a Plymouth, MN-based owner who has been part of this process for over a decade, argued that $475,000 was a more agreeable amount. Tyson Smith, Scheef's attorney, stated during an April 22, 2025, County Commissioner meeting that an aggressive real estate market and the property's recent subdivision into eight 10-acre lots, each valued at approximately $200,000, justified the higher amount.
This increase in value was driven largely by a 2024 Cook County Court ruling that reversed the property's status as "landlocked," due to the discovery of an early 1900s plat featuring a street grid that granted Scheef legal access via Old Ski Hill Road. At the April 2025 Board of Commissioners meeting, Scheef proposed selling the property to the county to avoid development. While he expressed a preference for a "preferred access route" to minimize environmental damage to the bluff, the county was hesitant to grant such an easement without a formal guarantee of land preservation.
The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to facilitate the purchase, but specified that taxpayer funds could not be used and that they would not be able to purchase it directly. Instead, the focus would shift toward grants, private donations, and partnerships with organizations like the Minnesota Land Trust, leaving the door open for other entities to step in.
Between then and now, Belleman said Cook County Commissioners Gary Gamble and Ann Sullivan attended early grassroots meetings as citizens to provide information on county functions. However, they withdrew from the group once the formal nonprofit was incorporated to maintain separation between the entities.
With PTB and Scheef now in a purchase agreement at $475,000, the organization is working to meet a $100,000 fundraising goal by February 17, 2026, to cover closing costs, taxes, and insurance. Belleman said that under 501(c)(3) regulations, at least 1/3 of the donations must come from "smaller contributions, typically under $10,000."
According to PTB's press release, the organization is accepting contributions by mail while its website is still under development. Donations can be directed to Preserve The Bluff, 210 Old Ski Hill Rd., Grand Marais, MN 55604.
Following the acquisition, the group plans to hold the land for three years (for tax purposes). After that, Belleman said that PTB will work with the Minnesota Land Trust to "put a conservation easement on the property, meaning no development (housing, commercial, etc.), and that will likely take at least a year."
After the three-year period ends, the group plans to donate it to the county or a local nonprofit. For now, the land purchase will be completely separate from the 640-acre Sawtooth Bluffs Regional Park Project.
If you would like to learn more about PTB, please call or email either Sue Abrahamsen at 218-370-9858, [email protected], or Ann Belleman at 218-830-9289, [email protected].
