Leech Lake Reservation Restoration Amendments Act of 2026

This bill changes an existing federal law that moved certain National Forest land to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. It would add other Forest Service land in the Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, that Bureau of Indian Affairs records show was sold without the unanimous consent of the rightful landowners. If the Secretary of Agriculture and the Tribe agree, other National Forest land in Cass County could be swapped in acre-for-acre, with a preference for land near existing Leech Lake trust lands or lands of cultural importance, and transfers could happen on a rolling basis. The bill restates that a Minnesota law and settlement agreement keep hunting, fishing, and recreation rights of non-Tribal members unchanged, and it requires the Forest Service to provide for public engagement and comment.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Betty McCollum Democrat sponsor
• 2 cosponsors