Bill would identify federal land for possible transfer to Leech Lake Band

The bill would identify additional federal land that could be included in a transfer to the Tribe. The land must be managed by the Forest Service in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota. Bureau of Indian Affairs records must show the land was sold without unanimous consent from its rightful landowners.

If the Secretary and the Tribe agree, the Secretary would substitute other National Forest land for parcels being transferred. The provision applies to land transferred under an agreement between the Secretary and the Tribe. The substitute land must be in Cass County and match the transferred land acre for acre. As far as practicable, the Secretary must avoid isolated federal parcels and favor land near existing Leech Lake trust land or places important to the Tribe’s culture. Transfers under an agreement may happen over time as land is identified and surveys are completed.

The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service Chief, would provide public engagement and comment while carrying out the bill’s provisions. This applies while implementing the provisions in this section. Public engagement and comment must follow applicable laws and regulations.

The bill would reaffirm that specified Minnesota law and a settlement agreement preserve non-Tribal members’ hunting, fishing, and recreation rights. This concerns non-Tribal members’ rights under Minnesota law and the settlement agreement ratified by that law. The text says those rights remain unchanged by the earlier restoration act and the amendments in this bill.