S. 199 

One Hundred Sixteenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Friday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty 

An Act 

To provide for the transfer of certain Federal land in the State of Minnesota 

for the benefit of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe 

Reservation Restoration Act’’. 

SEC. 2. LEECH LAKE BAND OF OJIBWE RESERVATION RESTORATION. 

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

(1) the Federal land described in subsection (b)(1) was 

taken from members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe during 

a period— 

(A) beginning in 1948; 

(B) during which the Bureau of Indian Affairs incorrectly interpreted an order of the Secretary of the Interior 

to mean that the Department of the Interior had the 

authority to sell tribal allotments without the consent of 

a majority of the rightful landowners; and 

(C) ending in 1959, when the Secretary of the Interior 

was— 

(i) advised that sales described in subparagraph 

(B) were illegal; and 

(ii) ordered to cease conducting those sales; 

(2) as a result of the Federal land described in subsection 

(b)(1) being taken from members of the Leech Lake Band of 

Ojibwe, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe hold the smallest 

percentage of its original reservation lands of any Ojibwe bands 

in Minnesota; 

(3)(A) the applicable statute of limitations prohibits individuals from pursuing through litigation the return of the land 

taken as described in paragraph (1); but 

(B) a Federal judge ruled that the land could be restored 

to the affected individuals through the legislative process; 

(4) a comprehensive review of the Federal land demonstrated that— 

(A) a portion of the Federal land is encumbered by— 

(i) utility easements; 

(ii) rights-of-way for roads; and 

(iii) flowage and reservoir rights; and 

(B) there are no known cabins, campgrounds, lodges, 

or resorts located on any portion of the Federal land; and 
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(5) on reacquisition by the Tribe of the Federal land, the 

Tribe— 

(A) has pledged to respect the easements, rights-ofway, and other rights described in paragraph (4)(A); and 

(B)(i) does not intend immediately to modify the use 

of the Federal land; but 

(ii) will keep the Federal land in tax-exempt fee status 

as part of the Chippewa National Forest until the Tribe 

develops a plan that allows for a gradual subdivision of 

some tracts for economic and residential development by 

the Tribe. 

(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) FEDERAL LAND.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ means the 

approximately 11,760 acres of Federal land located in the 

Chippewa National Forest in Cass County, Minnesota, the 

boundaries of which shall be depicted on the map, and 

described in the legal description, submitted under subsection (d)(1)(B). 

(B) INCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ includes— 

(i) any improvement located on the Federal land 

described in subparagraph (A); and 

(ii) any appurtenance to the Federal land. 

(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of Agriculture. 

(3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the Leech Lake Band 

of Ojibwe. 

(c) TRANSFER TO RESERVATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to valid existing rights and paragraph (2), the Secretary shall transfer to the administrative 

jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior all right, title, 

and interest of the United States in and to the Federal land. 

(2) TREATMENT.—Effective immediately on the transfer 

under paragraph (1), the Federal land shall be— 

(A) held in trust by the United States for the benefit 

of the Tribe; and 

(B) considered to be a part of the reservation of the 

Tribe. 

(d) SURVEY, MAP, AND LEGAL DESCRIPTION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 

(A) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

of this Act, complete a plan of survey to establish the 

boundaries of the Federal land; and 

(B) as soon as practicable after the date of enactment 

of this Act, submit a map and legal description of the 

Federal land to— 

(i) the Committee on Natural Resources of the 

House of Representatives; and 

(ii) the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate. 

(2) FORCE AND EFFECT.—The map and legal description 

submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall have the same force 

and effect as if included in this Act, except that the Secretary 

may correct any clerical or typographical error in the map 

or legal description. 

(3) PUBLIC AVAILABILITY.—The map and legal description 

submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall be on file and available 

for public inspection in the office of the Secretary. 
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(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise expressly provided 

in this section, nothing in this section affects any right or 

claim of the Tribe, as in existence on the date of enactment 

of this Act, to any land or interest in land. 

(2) PROHIBITIONS.— 

(A) EXPORTS OF UNPROCESSED LOGS.—Federal law 

(including regulations) relating to the export of unprocessed 

logs harvested from Federal land shall apply to any 

unprocessed logs that are harvested from the Federal land. 

(B) NON-PERMISSIBLE USE OF LAND.—The Federal land 

shall not be eligible or used for any gaming activity carried 

out under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 

2701 et seq.). 

(3) FOREST MANAGEMENT.—Any commercial forestry 

activity carried out on the Federal land shall be managed 

in accordance with applicable Federal law. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.