Bolthole Index

Cook County, Minnesota

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Cook County, Minnesota

64Index Score / 100
#29 of 87 in Minnesota

In areas administered by Cook County Land Services, a land-use permit is required for any habitable structure and for structures larger than 160 square feet.1 Cook County also administers zoning in most of the county and septic permits outside the Grand Portage Reservation.23 The City of Grand Marais and Grand Portage Reservation have separate zoning authority.2

At a glance

Land-use permit
Required for every habitable structure and structures over 160 square feet in county-administered areas1
Zoning
County-administered except in Grand Marais and the Grand Portage Reservation2
Septic permit
Required for all septic solutions whenever a property is inhabited4
RV living
A short-duration RV permit is available as a bridge to construction; broader private-land camping rules remain unconfirmed5
Tiny home
Habitable structures require a land-use permit regardless of size; occupancy rules remain unconfirmed1
Owner-builder
A state contractor-license exemption may apply, but it does not waive permits or inspections6
Private well
The countywide permit requirement could not be confirmed; ask Land Services before drilling3

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Cook County Land Services

Land-use and zoning administration, septic-system administration, stormwater and wetland permitting inquiries

218.387.3630

Cook County Courthouse 411 W. 2nd Street Grand Marais, MN 55604

Online permits →

Zoning

Cook County Land Services

Recreational-vehicle land-use permit applications

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 27, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Cook County, Minnesota?

Cook County Land Services requires a land-use permit for any habitable structure, regardless of size, and for other structures larger than 160 square feet in the areas it administers.1 An accessory structure under 160 square feet or an unsided woodshed may be exempt if it meets required setbacks, but a small cabin is still habitable and therefore needs the land-use permit.1

Do not assume that this land-use permit answers every building-code question. Minnesota's State Building Code is the statewide standard for the types of construction it governs, but the county's local building-code adoption status and general building-inspection requirement could not be confirmed.7 Ask Cook County Land Services what approvals apply to the exact parcel and project before ordering materials.3 The City of Grand Marais and Grand Portage Reservation are outside the county's zoning authority, so projects there need direction from the applicable jurisdiction.2

Who issues permits in Cook County, and how do you reach them?

Cook County Land Services is the first call for a rural project involving structure placement, land use, zoning, septic, stormwater, wetlands or subdivision questions.3 The office is at the Cook County Courthouse in Grand Marais and publishes an online e-permitting portal.3 The portal supports online applications, payments, document uploads, application review and tracking after the applicant creates an account by email.8

Start with a land-use inquiry if the parcel or project is uncertain, then use the portal for the application Land Services identifies.3 Permit fees vary locally in Minnesota, and the applicable Cook County fee should be confirmed with Land Services or the current fee schedule.9 Cook County's pages do not confirm a general county building-inspection program or certificate-of-occupancy rule, so ask the office directly whether either applies to the proposed work.3

Does Cook County have zoning?

Cook County Land Services administers zoning throughout Cook County except the City of Grand Marais and Grand Portage Reservation.2 County planning and zoning includes structure placement and use, stormwater permitting, vacation-rental licensing and land subdivisions.3 The county also regulates subdivisions, so splitting a tract is a separate approval question rather than an automatic by-product of a land purchase.10

Zoning district and parcel conditions matter before siting a house, cabin, RV or accessory building. The available county material confirms that small exempt accessory structures must still meet required setbacks, but it does not establish one countywide numeric setback, minimum lot size, minimum dwelling size, lot-coverage limit or building-height limit.1 Ask Land Services to identify the parcel's district and applicable dimensional standards.3 For land in Grand Marais or on the Grand Portage Reservation, ask the governing jurisdiction rather than relying on Cook County zoning answers.2

How do septic permits work in Cook County?

Cook County Land Services administers the county septic ordinance outside the Grand Portage Reservation, and a permit is required when a subsurface sewage system is installed, replaced, altered, repaired or extended.3 The county also states that a septic permit is required for all types of septic solutions whenever a property is inhabited.4 Submit septic permit and inspection requests through the county's e-permitting system.11

Site feasibility deserves early attention: only about 0.4% of mapped Cook County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.12 That soil rating does not decide whether a parcel can support septic, but it makes professional site evaluation especially important before choosing a house location. County compliance inspections are required during lakeshore septic compliance programs or with permit applications in shoreland areas.3 A universal inspection rule for every property transfer could not be confirmed, so ask Land Services what triggers an inspection for the parcel.3

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Cook County?

Cook County offers a recreational-vehicle permit intended as a short-duration bridge between buying property and constructing a permanent residence.5 That permit description does not establish a general right to live indefinitely in an RV, and the broader temporary-camping rule on private land could not be confirmed. Ask Land Services about duration, sanitation and zoning conditions before placing or occupying an RV.5

A tiny home does not avoid the county's land-use permit merely because it is small: every habitable structure in county-administered areas requires the permit regardless of size.1 The county's specific tiny-home occupancy rules and any numeric minimum dwelling size could not be confirmed, so obtain a parcel-specific answer from Land Services.3 New manufactured homes installed for occupancy in Minnesota must be inspected under federal installation standards, but that statewide rule does not answer whether a particular Cook County parcel allows the proposed home.13

Building a home in Cook County: what are the steps?

  1. Confirm whether Cook County Land Services, Grand Marais or the Grand Portage Reservation controls zoning for the parcel.2
  2. Ask Land Services for the zoning district, setbacks and any shoreland, wetland, stormwater or floodplain constraints before fixing the building site.3
  3. Evaluate septic feasibility early; Cook County soils are overwhelmingly rated severely limited for conventional drain fields.12
  4. Submit the land-use and septic applications the office identifies through Cook County's online permitting system.811
  5. Ask whether a building-code permit, inspections or a certificate of occupancy applies, because the county's general requirements on those points could not be confirmed.3
  6. Obtain access approval from the road authority if a new or changed driveway connects to a public highway.14
  7. Keep permitted work accessible for any required building-code inspection and do not cover it before approval.15

What should you check before buying land in Cook County?

Begin with jurisdiction and buildability. Confirm the zoning authority, zoning district, setbacks, legal access and whether the proposed use needs land-use, septic, stormwater, wetland or floodplain approval.23 A house, fill or a culvert or bridge in a Minnesota floodplain requires a floodplain permit, ordinarily administered under the community's ordinance.16 A driveway connection to a public highway is subject to regulation and a permit from the road authority.14

Budget for site work only after a septic evaluation: about 0.4% of mapped soils avoid a severe conventional-drain-field limitation, and about 82.8% of the county has slopes of 15% or less.1217 Private-well permitting and countywide water or sewer connection requirements could not be confirmed; ask Land Services which state or local office governs the parcel.3 For carrying costs, Cook County's effective property-tax rate is about 0.8%, with a median annual property-tax bill of about $2,322.1819

Watch-outs

  • Grand Marais and the Grand Portage Reservation are outside Cook County Land Services' zoning authority.2
  • A small habitable cabin still requires a land-use permit even when it is under 160 square feet.1
  • Cook County's recreational-vehicle permit is described as short-duration and tied to construction of a permanent residence, not as open-ended RV occupancy.5
  • A state owner-builder licensing exemption does not waive applicable permits, inspections or occupancy approvals.6

Sources

  1. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  2. Planning and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  3. Cook County Land Services (cookcountymn.gov)
  4. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  5. Cook County Land Services (cookcountymn.gov)
  6. Sec. 326B.805 MN Statutes (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  9. Minnesota State Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Planning and Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  11. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  12. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
  13. Manufactured home information (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Minnesota Statutes, section 160.18: Access to roads; approaches (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. 1300.0210 INSPECTIONS (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written September 27, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

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County locator

Cook County in Minnesota

64
County map
Cook County highlighted among the Minnesota counties · colored by Index score

How Cook County scores

Seclusion96100% ev.
Self-Sufficiency40100% ev.
Admin Boringness43100% ev.
Durability48100% ev.
Property Autonomy65100% ev.
Carry Cost61100% ev.

Evidence strength: 100%. This reports direct-source completeness and fallback use; it is separate from the score and is not a confidence interval. How it works →

$446kTypical home
0.8%Property tax
$7,495Land / acre
30.3"Annual rain
11.7% of yrsSevere drought
0.1 / yr (+0.1)Mid-century 100°F days
12.1 daysMid-century dry spell
1.46" (+10.1%)Mid-century 1-day rain
1.73×Wildfire change factor
100%Forward climate coverage
$1,671Home insurance / yr
0.1% / yrInsurance growth
0%Nonrenewal rate
county median (2+ published ZIPs)Insurance basis
10,955People within 2 hr
654Radius comparison (15 mi)
3.9People / sq mi
81.8%Federal land
82.8%Land at 15% slope or less
0.4%Septic soil without severe limits
3,081 acWorkable land screen
85.7%Wooded land
29.3 tonsBiomass / forest ac
36.8°FAvg temp

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Answers from the rulebook for Cook County

What the ordinances and state agencies actually say — one answer per question, each quoted from the official source and independently re-checked.

Cook County rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction of structures and habitable structures in areas administered by Cook County Land Services.

    • A land use permit is necessary for construction of structures greater than 160 square feet or any habitable structure regardless of size.
    • The planning page states that some projects are exempt, including accessory structures under 160 square feet and unsided woodsheds of any size, provided required setbacks are met.
    • Grand Portage Reservation and the City of Grand Marais are outside Cook County Land Services zoning authority.

    structure size threshold: > 160 sq ft (Any habitable structure requires a permit regardless of size.)

    “Necessary for construction of structures greater than 160 square feet, or any habitable structure regardless of its size”
  • County-wide zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Cook County land-use zoning authority.

    • Cook County Land Services is the zoning authority for all areas except Grand Portage Reservation and the City of Grand Marais.
    “Cook County Land Services is the zoning authority for all areas of Cook County except the following: Grand Portage Reservation and City of Grand Marais.”
  • Local zoningVaries (with conditions)

    Aggregate local zoning across Cook County; Cook County administers most county areas, while Grand Portage Reservation and the City of Grand Marais are exceptions with separate authority.

    • This is an aggregate conclusion and does not claim Cook County administers the excluded jurisdictional areas.
    “Cook County Land Services is the zoning authority for all areas of Cook County except the following: Grand Portage Reservation and City of Grand Marais.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Cook County zoning districts and rezoning processes.

    • The county page identifies rezoning as a shift of zone districts but does not publish the district schedule or numeric standards on the opened page.
    • The County Ordinances page lists Zoning Ordinance Number 37.pdf.
    “If it is in the interest of the County, rezoning is a non-administrative shift of zone districts – typically to modify land use practices”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Septic-system permitting and inspection administration identified on Cook County's permitting page.

    • The page lists septic permits and inspection requests in the Cook County e-permitting system.
    “Septic System Permits & Inspection Requests”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Septic solutions for inhabited property in Cook County.

    • The Cook County permits page states that the requirement applies to all types of septic solutions and whenever a property is inhabited.
    “A septic permit is required for all types of septic solutions; used whenever a property is inhabited”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land subdivisions in areas administered by Cook County Land Services.

    • The County Ordinances page lists a Subdivision Ordinance No. 50.
    • Grand Portage Reservation and the City of Grand Marais are outside Cook County Land Services zoning authority.
    “Allows subdivision of property to create conforming new properties”
  • Short-term rentalsAllowed (with conditions)

    Short-term or vacation rentals in Cook County areas subject to the county vacation-rental program.

    • A county vacation-rental registration application is required or available.
    • The county page states that the registration site will reopen December 1, 2026, and identifies a vacation-rental ordinance updated in 2025.
    • Other health, zoning, and ordinance conditions may apply.
    “The Cook County Vacation Rental Registration site will reopen December 1st 2026. Please use the link below to start a renewal or new application:”
  • Permit processPublished

    Online Cook County permit and zoning-approval application process.

    • Applicants must set up an initial account via email before accessing e-permitting.
    • The system supports online applications, payments, document submission, application review/editing, and tracking.
    “Our web-based permitting and application submittal system allows you to apply and pay for licenses and permits applications all online with 24/7 access.”

Minnesota rules that apply here

  • Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    An owner of residential real estate who personally builds or improves residential real estate, as an exemption from the residential contractor licensing requirement.

    • The owner must occupy or intend to occupy the residential real estate for residential purposes, or retain ownership for rental purposes after completion.
    • The exemption does not apply when the owner constructs or improves residential real estate for resale or speculation.
    • An owner is presumed to be building or improving for speculation if the owner constructs or improves more than one property within any 24-month period, unless the properties will be retained for rental purposes.
    • This is a contractor-licensing exemption and does not waive applicable building permits, inspections, or certificates of occupancy.

    speculation presumption threshold: > 1 additional property within 24 months (The presumption does not apply if the properties will be retained by the owner for rental purposes.)

    “The license requirement does not apply to: [...] an owner of residential real estate who builds or improves residential real estate”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings and other structures of the type governed by the Minnesota State Building Code throughout Minnesota.

    • The State Building Code supersedes the building code of any municipality.
    • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except for the state inspections and rulemaking identified in Minnesota Statutes section 326B.121, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (1), and the structural-support requirement for translucent panels or other skylights without raised curbs in clause (2).
    • The 2020 Minnesota State Building Code is effective March 31, 2020, except the Minnesota Mechanical Fuel Gas Code, which is effective April 6, 2020.
    • Municipal enforcement generally requires adoption by local ordinance, subject to statutory requirements for certain municipalities and statutory enforcement responsibilities where no adoption ordinance is in effect.
    • The 2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code is effective January 5, 2024.
    • Requirements for adult changing stations are effective August 15, 2025, and requirements for window-cleaning safety features are effective November 7, 2025, according to the Department of Labor and Industry update page.

    2020 Minnesota State Building Code effective date: 2020-03-31 (Minnesota Mechanical Fuel Gas Code effective 2020-04-06) · 2024 Minnesota Commercial Energy Code effective date: 2024-01-05 · Adult changing station supplement effective date: 2025-08-15 · Window-cleaning safety feature supplement effective date: 2025-11-07

    “(a) The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings and other structures of the type governed by the code.”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Construction or work for which a Minnesota State Building Code permit is required.

    • The work must remain accessible and exposed until approved.
    • The permit applicant must cause the work to remain accessible and exposed for inspection.
    • The building official identifies required inspections; the permit holder must maintain the inspection record card until final approval.
    • Work may not proceed beyond each successive inspection point without building-official approval; noncomplying portions must be corrected and may not be covered or concealed until authorized.
    “Construction or work for which a permit is required is subject to inspection by the building official”
  • Camping on your landLimited

    Private or public areas accommodating five or more tents or recreational camping vehicles on a daily, nightly, weekly, or longer basis

    • An annual license from the Minnesota Department of Health is required before establishing, maintaining, conducting, or operating a recreational camping area.
    • The license requires application, payment of the statutory fee, and approval for operation including plan review.
    • A recreational camping area excludes children's camps, industrial camps, migrant labor camps, United States Forest Service camps, state forest service camps, qualifying state wildlife-management or state-owned public-access areas, qualifying temporary holding areas adjacent to motorsports facilities, and a privately owned area used by a private club no more than once annually and no longer than seven consecutive days.
    • A special event recreational camping area operates no more than two times annually and for no more than 14 consecutive days.
    • The statute does not resolve local zoning or land-use requirements.

    minimum accommodated tents or recreational camping vehicles: >= 5 units (Statutory exclusions apply.) · special event operating frequency: <= 2 times annually (Special event recreational camping area.) · special event duration: <= 14 consecutive days (Special event recreational camping area.) · annual license base fee for recreational camping area with 24 or fewer sites: 100 USD (Additional $8 per licensed site; special event areas are excluded from that per-site paragraph.) · annual license base fee for recreational camping area with 25 to 99 sites: 410 USD (Additional $8 per licensed site; special event areas are excluded from that per-site paragraph.) · annual license base fee for recreational camping area with 100 or more sites: 610 USD (Additional $8 per licensed site; special event areas are excluded from that per-site paragraph.)

    “"Recreational camping area" means any area, whether privately or publicly owned, used on a daily, nightly, weekly, or longer basis for the accommodation of five or more tents or recreational camping vehicles free of charge or for compensation. [...] "Special event recreational camping area" means a recreational camping area which operates no more than two times annually and for no more than 14 consecutive days. [...] No person, firm or corporation shall establish, maintain, conduct or operate a manufactured home park or recreational camping area within this state without first obtaining an annual license from the state Department of Health.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    New manufactured homes installed for occupancy statewide in Minnesota

    • Inspection is required under Federal Installation Standards Programs, CFR 3285 and 3286.
    • Manufactured-home alterations require documentation submitted for review to the Department of Labor and Industry or the local authority having jurisdiction before work begins.
    • Local building officials and local code enforcement may apply depending on the municipality.
    “All new manufactured homes installed in Minnesota for occupancy are required to be inspected according to the Federal Installation Standards Programs, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 3285 and 3286.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Primitive dwellings using toilet-waste treatment devices in low dwelling-density areas, and privies governed by Minnesota SSTS rules.

    • Septage disposal by the owner must follow local ordinances.
    • If no local ordinance exists, septage must not be discharged to surface waters, drainageways, steeply sloping areas, or wet areas in a manner or volume harmful to the environment or public health or that creates a nuisance.
    • Material must be buried or covered with soil.
    • If site conditions do not meet the rule, solids disposal must be performed under the applicable rule by a licensed maintenance business.
    • Privy solids must be removed when the privy is filled to one-half capacity.
    • Abandoned pits must have sewage solids and contaminated soil removed and be filled with clean earth and slightly mounded.

    privy solids removal threshold: 50 percent capacity

    “For primitive dwellings using toilet waste treatment devices in low dwelling density areas, septage disposal from these devices by the owner must be in accordance with local ordinances. If no ordinance exists, the septage must not be discharged to surface waters, drainageways, steeply sloping areas, or wet areas in a manner or volume that is harmful to the environment or public health or that creates a nuisance. The material must be buried or covered with soil.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Additional ingress to or egress from a public highway for property with a right of direct private access.

    • The access must facilitate efficient use of the property for a particular lawful purpose.
    • The access is subject to reasonable regulation by and a permit from the road authority.
    • Regulation and permitting may address interference with highway construction, maintenance, safe use, appurtenances, and public use.
    “The owner or occupant of property abutting upon a public highway, having a right of direct private access thereto, may provide such other or additional means of ingress from and egress to the highway as will facilitate the efficient use of the property for a particular lawful purpose, subject to reasonable regulation by and permit from the road authority as is necessary to prevent interference with the construction, maintenance and safe use of the highway and its appurtenances and the public use thereof.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Building a house, placing fill, or installing a culvert or bridge in portions of a Minnesota floodplain.

    • Construction and fill are generally permitted only where they comply with the community’s floodplain management ordinance.
    • The cited examples require a floodplain permit.
    • Floodway, flood fringe, mapped floodplain, local zoning, and engineering requirements may affect the result.
    • Local governments administer the applicable floodplain permit in the ordinary case.
    “Construction and fill is generally permitted in portions of the floodplain, provided they adhere to their community’s floodplain management ordinance. Such projects as building a house, placement of fill, or installing a culvert or bridge would all require a floodplain permit.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Minnesota State Building Code permit fees administered by adopting local municipalities.

    • Fees are determined and established by the local municipality.
    • Fees must cover costs associated with administration and enforcement of the State Building Code.
    • Fees may use a fixed-fee basis, a construction-value sliding fee schedule, or a combination.
    • Fees must be commensurate with services provided.
    “Permit fees are to be determined and established by the local municipality. Permit fees must be established so that they cover all costs associated with administration and enforcement the State Building Code - to run a functioning building department. Permit fees can be developed on a “fixed fee” basis and on a construction “value” type of sliding fee schedule, or a combination of both.”
  • county zoning authorityLimited

    County planning and zoning authority over unincorporated areas of Minnesota.

    • The authority applies to a county having less than 300,000 population according to the 1950 federal census.
    • The statute authorizes county planning and zoning activities generally within the qualifying counties; it does not identify a separate unincorporated-area limitation in this section.
    • Except as otherwise provided, a county regardless of population must not enact, amend, or enforce an ordinance eliminating or terminating a lawful use by amortization.
    • The amortization prohibition does not apply to adults-only bookstores, adults-only theaters, or similar adults-only businesses as defined by ordinance.
    • The amortization subdivision does not prohibit nuisance-prevention or nuisance-abatement enforcement or elimination of a use determined to be a public nuisance without payment of compensation.

    population threshold: < 300000 persons (According to the 1950 federal census)

    “having less than 300,000 population according to the 1950 federal census is authorized to carry on county planning and zoning activities.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission — ask the county directly.

  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy in Cook County.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size requirements in Cook County.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot-size requirements in Cook County.
  • Setbacks — Setback requirements in Cook County.
  • Lot coverage — Lot-coverage requirements in Cook County.
7 more unanswered
  • Building height
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Living off-grid in Cook County, Minnesota

Is Cook County a good place to live off-grid or homestead?

Cook County scores 64/100 on the Bolthole Index, a strong county profile. Its strengths: deep seclusion — about 654 people within 15 miles and a stronger property-autonomy legal backdrop. Watch-outs: workable self-sufficiency basics (30.3″/yr rainfall).

Do you need a building permit in Cook County, Minnesota?

Cook County generally requires a residential building permit, and it enforces county zoning. Onsite septic is permitted by Cook County Land Services (Planning & Zoning). Owner-builders may act as their own contractor to build their home. These answers are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked. Rules change and cities within the county differ — always confirm with the county before you buy or build.

How much does land cost in Cook County, Minnesota?

Land in Cook County runs about $7,495 per acre, based on the latest county data.

What is the water situation in Cook County?

Cook County gets about 30.3" of rain a year, with severe drought in roughly 11.7% of years.

How remote is Cook County?

A typical private-land location has about 654 people within 15 miles and 201,409 within 100 miles. These radius catchments are the published fallback where road routing is unavailable.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Cook County means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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How Cook compares in Minnesota

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