Chippewa National Forest, Leech Lake Band Renew Co-Stewardship Agreement

The Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe have renewed an agreement by formalizing the consultation process to cultivate trust related to forest management decisions.

A press release from the U.S. Forest Service says the signing builds on a recently expired 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between the Chippewa National Forest and the band.

The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the Forest Service and the Leech Lake Band for natural resource management, economic development and employment, training and education, maintaining Ojibwe cultural lifeways, and regulatory jurisdiction on National Forest System and trust lands within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation.

Congress created the Chippewa National Forest in the early 20th century from lands that had been set aside to serve as a treaty-guaranteed reservation for the band. Today, about 90% of the reservation lies within forest boundaries, while 45% of the forest lies within the reservation.