The Chippewa National Forest is unique in the National Forest System as it is the first national forest created by statute and the only national forest created with explicit provisions for the benefit of a Tribal Nation.
Among those benefits are: (1) protection of lands found within the exterior boundaries of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation; (2) employment of Indian labor; (3) dedication of profits from timber sale receipts to a trust account for the benefit of the Leech Lake Nation; (4) shared decision-making authority with the Leech Lake Nation in oversight of timber valuation on a portion of the national forest; and (5) protection of Indian burial grounds.
Over time, the history behind the legal foundation of the Chippewa National Forest has faded from the collective memory of the U.S. Forest Service. However, the fact remains that a unique relationship exists between the Chippewa National Forest and the Leech Lake Nation, which includes an amplified legal trust obligation of the United States and the U.S. Forest Service to the Leech Lake Nation.