Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2025
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Would amend a 2020 law to expand the federal land eligible for transfer to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, specifically adding Chippewa National Forest parcels in Minnesota that Bureau of Indian Affairs records show were sold without the unanimous consent of their rightful owners.
It would allow acre-for-acre substitutions of alternative National Forest land by mutual agreement and permit rolling transfers as parcels are surveyed, while explicitly preserving non-tribal members' hunting, fishing, and recreation rights under Minnesota law.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act (Public Law 116-255) to broaden the category of federal land eligible for transfer to the tribe. It would add to the definition of transferable "Federal land" any Chippewa National Forest parcels in Cass County, Minnesota, that Bureau of Indian Affairs records show were sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful landowners. Those parcels would be transferred by the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior for the tribe's benefit.
By mutual agreement between USDA and the tribe, USDA could substitute alternative National Forest System land in Cass County on an acre-for-acre basis, with a preference for land adjacent to or near existing Leech Lake trust lands or lands of cultural importance to the tribe. Transfers could proceed on a rolling basis as parcels are identified and surveys completed. The bill also reaffirms that non-tribal members' hunting, fishing, and recreation rights under Minnesota Statutes section 97A.151 remain unchanged, and requires USDA to conduct public engagement and comment during implementation.
Key provisions
- 1Would expand the definition of transferable 'Federal land' to include Chippewa National Forest parcels in Cass County that BIA records show were sold without unanimous landowner consent.
- 2Would allow USDA and the tribe to agree to substitute alternative National Forest System land in Cass County on an acre-for-acre basis, preferring land adjacent to existing Leech Lake trust or culturally important lands.
- 3Would authorize rolling transfers of land to the Department of the Interior as individual parcels are identified and surveys are completed.
- 4Would reaffirm that non-tribal members' hunting, fishing, and recreation rights under Minnesota Statutes section 97A.151 remain unchanged by the amended law.
- 5Would require USDA, acting through the Forest Service Chief, to provide for public engagement and comment in implementing the land transfer amendments.
Who would be affected
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, who would receive additional federal trust land. Non-tribal hunters, anglers, and recreationists on the affected lands, whose existing rights are explicitly preserved by the bill. The USDA Forest Service, which would identify qualifying parcels and conduct transfers, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, whose land records provide the evidentiary basis for identifying eligible land.
Why it matters
For the Leech Lake Band, the bill would restore land that BIA records indicate was sold without the required unanimous consent of rightful owners — addressing a specific historical land-loss grievance. The rolling transfer and acre-for-acre substitution mechanisms give both USDA and the tribe flexibility to avoid disrupting National Forest operations while still completing the restoration.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation Restoration Act (Public Law 116-255) (Sec. 2)
Expands the definition of eligible Federal land to include parcels sold without unanimous consent; adds acre-for-acre substitution and rolling transfer authority; updates map and legal description requirements.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates S. 622 would increase net direct spending by a negligible amount over the 2025–2035 period, with no effect on revenues and no significant effect on the federal deficit.
S. 622 would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to transfer certain federal land in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe tribe. CBO estimates the bill would increase net direct spending (mandatory spending that does not require annual appropriations) by a negligible amount — between zero and $500,000 — over the 2025–2035 period, primarily due to a small potential loss of offsetting receipts from timber, mineral, and special-use permit revenues on transferred lands. Administrative costs to USDA, such as public comment processes, would be insignificant and subject to appropriated funds. CBO identified no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates in the bill.
How implementation would work
USDA, through the Forest Service Chief, would use BIA records to identify qualifying parcels, complete surveys, and — where both parties agree — negotiate acre-for-acre land substitutions with the tribe. Transfers may occur on a rolling basis rather than all at once. USDA must provide for public engagement and comment in accordance with applicable laws and regulations throughout the process. Maps and legal descriptions of all transferred parcels must be submitted and placed on file with Congress. The Bureau of Indian Affairs records serve as the evidentiary basis for determining which parcels qualify.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Held at the desk.
Official CRS summary
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This 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.
Legislative subjects
Congressional oversight; Federal-Indian relations; Forests, forestry, trees; Indian claims; Indian lands and resources rights; Land transfers; Minnesota; Native Americans
Committee report
S. Rept. 119-78