Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
The Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025 seeks to broaden and streamline the transfer of Federal land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe by amending the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act (Public Law 116-255). The main purpose is to add more Federal land for transfer to the Tribe, while creating a mechanism to substitute other National Forest System land on an acre-for-acre basis to replace parcels transferred, with a preference for land near existing Leech Lake trust lands and lands culturally important to the Tribe. The bill also clarifies that these transfers are not intended to immediately change how the land is used, reaffirms that hunting, fishing, and recreation rights for non-Tribal members remain unchanged, and requires public engagement in the transfer process. Implementation would involve the Forest Service and related agencies, with ongoing transfers on a rolling basis as land is identified and surveyed. In short, the bill expands the pool of Federal land eligible for transfer to the Leech Lake Band, sets up a framework for exchanging land to minimize in-holdings and maximize locality to Tribal lands and cultural sites, and strengthens public involvement and protections for non-Tribal recreational rights.
Key Points
- 1Adds additional Federal land for transfer: The bill broadens the eligible land to include certain lands managed by the Forest Service in the Chippewa National Forest (Cass County, Minnesota) that were recorded as having been sold without unanimous consent of rightful landowners.
- 2Acre-for-acre land substitution: On agreement between the Secretary and the Leech Lake Tribe, the Secretary must substitute alternative National Forest System land located in Cass County on an acre-for-acre basis for parcels to be transferred, prioritizing land adjacent to or near existing Leech Lake trust lands and lands of cultural importance to the Tribe.
- 3Rolling transfers: Under an agreed framework, land transfers can occur on a rolling basis as land is identified and surveys are completed, rather than requiring a single, discrete transfer event.
- 4Public engagement requirement: The implementation of the amendments requires public engagement and comment in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, involving the Forest Service and related processes.
- 5Non-Tribal rights preserved: The act reaffirms that hunting, fishing, and recreation rights of non-Tribal members remain unchanged by the Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Act and the amendments.