Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025 – Summary **What the Bill Does** This bill transfers certain federal land in Minnesota's Chippewa National Forest to the Department of the Interior for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Specifically, it addresses land that was historically sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful Native American owners, according to Bureau of Indian Affairs records. To compensate, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will transfer these parcels to the tribe while replacing them with alternative federal forest land in the same county on an acre-for-acre basis. **Who It Affects and Key Details** The bill directly affects the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, a Native American tribe in Minnesota, and involves federal land management in Cass County.
The Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior will coordinate the transfers. The bill prioritizes swapping in replacement land that is adjacent to or culturally important to the tribe whenever possible, and the transfers can happen gradually rather than all at once. **Current Status** The bill has passed the Senate and is now moving through the legislative process. As a relatively straightforward land-transfer measure addressing a historical grievance, it addresses federal obligations to Native American tribes regarding their land rights.
CRS Official Summary
Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025This bill transfers certain federal land located in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, to the Department of the Interior for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to transfer for the benefit of the tribe land in the Chippewa National Forest that records maintained by the Bureau of Indian Affairs show was sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful landowners.Upon agreement between USDA and the tribe, USDA shall substitute alternative National Forest System land located in Cass County, Minnesota, on an acre-for-acre basis for those parcels of federal land to be transferred in a manner that avoids inholdings and provides a preference for land adjacent to or near existing Leech Lake trust lands and lands of cultural importance to the tribe, to the maximum extent practicable.USDA may transfer land to Interior on a rolling basis as that land is identified and surveys are completed.USDA, acting through the U.S. Forest Service, must provide for public engagement and comment to implement this bill.
Latest Action
Held at the desk.