Edgar Filing: OTTER TAIL CORP

Ownership Submission

FORM 4

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*

ERICKSON JOHN D

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
OTTER TAIL CORP [OTTR]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

__X__ Director	_____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below)	_____ Other (specify below)
President & CEO

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

215 S CASCADE ST

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/14/2008

(Street)

FERGUS FALLS, MN 56537-2801

4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
_X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
1.Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price		6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Common Stock	05/14/2008		G⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	V	1,000 ⁽³⁾	D	$ 0	85,789.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		M		7,000	A	$ 19.1875	92,789.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾		373	D	$ 36	92,416.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		500	D	$ 36.01	91,916.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		800	D	$ 36.02	91,116.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		360	D	$ 36.03	90,756.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		206	D	$ 36.05	90,550.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		400	D	$ 36.06	90,150.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		325	D	$ 36.07	89,825.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		200	D	$ 36.08	89,625.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		100	D	$ 36.1	89,525.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		1,500	D	$ 36.12	88,025.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		1,100	D	$ 36.13	86,925.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		261	D	$ 36.15	86,664.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		100	D	$ 36.16	86,564.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		168	D	$ 36.2	86,396.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		200	D	$ 36.21	86,196.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		200	D	$ 36.26	85,996.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		100	D	$ 36.27	85,896.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		100	D	$ 36.28	85,796.0199	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽²⁾		7	D	$ 36.29	85,789.0199 ⁽⁴⁾	D
Common Stock	05/14/2008		G⁽¹⁾⁽⁵⁾	V	1,000 ⁽³⁾	A	$ 0	4,000	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽¹⁾⁽⁵⁾		43	D	$ 35.83	3,957	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		100	D	$ 35.84	3,857	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		800	D	$ 35.85	3,057	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		400	D	$ 35.86	2,657	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		300	D	$ 35.87	2,357	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		100	D	$ 35.88	2,257	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		100	D	$ 35.89	2,157	I	By Foundation
Common Stock	05/14/2008		S⁽⁵⁾		256	D	$ 35.9	1,901	I	By Foundation

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)

Code

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Options (right to buy)

$ 19.1875

05/14/2008

7,000

02/23/2000⁽⁶⁾

02/23/2009

Common Stock

16,000

$ 0

2,000

Stock Options (right to buy)

$ 19.75

04/10/2001⁽⁶⁾

04/10/2010

Common Stock

25,000

Stock Options (right to buy)

$ 26.25

04/09/2002⁽⁶⁾

04/09/2011

Common Stock

75,000

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
ERICKSON JOHN D 215 S CASCADE ST FERGUS FALLS, MN 56537-2801	X		President & CEO

Signatures

/s/ John D Erickson by Debra J Lill, Attorney-in-Fact		05/16/2008
^**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	All sales and gifts reported in this Form 4 were effected pursuant to Rule 10b5-1(c) trading plans.
(2)	Trading Plan was adopted by the reporting person on 3/6/2008.
(3)	These shares were gifted from the joint account with his wife through Merrill Lynch to The John and Kim Erickson Family Foundation, a non-profit charitable corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code also held with Merrill Lynch.
(4)	Total direct holdings include shares jointly held with spouse through Merrill Lynch and shares acquired individually pursuant to Restricted Stock Awards and Performance Award distributions.
(5)	Trading Plan was adopted by The John and Kim Erickson Family Foundation, a non-profit charitable corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code on 5/7/2008.
(6)	Stock options vest in cumulative annual installments of 25% beginning the date shown.
Remarks: Due to SEC limitations of 30 transactions per Form 4 filing please view the second Form 4 filing for full report.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

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