Bois Forte Natural Resources Management

Mission Statement

The Bois Forte Department of Natural Resources (“BFDNR”) is committed to attaining and advancing objectives and goals in management, conservation, sustainability and protection of the natural resources of the Bois Forte Band, both on federally-established reservation sectors and in the 1854 Treaty Area in cooperation with the 1854 Treaty Authority. BFDNR will utilize all tools available including research, education and outreach with Band Members, partners and stakeholders, to accomplish these objectives and goals.

2024 Program Highlights

Conservation Enforcement Code and Policy on Tribal Land Access – The Bois Forte Band is updating Conservation Regulation and Enforcement Codes. Codes are designed to protect Bois Forte Member rights and resources. Updated codes are necessary to replace older version of codes last published in 2011. Codes will be published on this website in the coming months. Revised codes and fine schedules will address non-approved access to Band-owned lands by non-tribal persons and agencies.

Realty and Land Use Policy – The Bois Forte Band has created what is generally regarded as the first official Realty Policy manual. That manual that defines lease-holder processes, rights and obligations. This policy will be published on this website in the coming months. The Realty program is presently undergoing substantial revision. An effort is under way to digitize leaseholder records and create a GIS-based interactive platform to allow rapid access to individual leaseholder records. This system is intended to reduce time spent by leaseholders and the Leasing Program Manager when attempting to gain access to or make inquiries about lease status. This process is in development but will take time to incorporate paper records. Completion of the GIS leasing platform is anticipated in 2026.

Blight Ordinance Policy – The Bois Forte Tribal Council has reviewed and passed a Blight Ordinance policy applicable to residents of Bois Forte. That policy is posted on this website.

Climate Change Planning – Bois Forte is a participant in the Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan for the 1854 Ceded Territory, which includes Bois Forte, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac. The Vulnerability Assessment is available online at (www.1854treatyauthority.org). BFDNR actively pursues climate-related grant funding for a variety of community needs (residential de-carbonization projects, ecological restoration projects to support and enhance sustenance food resources). BFDNR actively assists the Bois Forte Department of Energy Resources with planning and funding opportunities for sustainable, climate safe energy development for the Bois Forte community.

Carbon Banking Program – The BFDNR coordinates a Carbon Banking program for Bois Forte. This program will allow 28,000 forested acres of new-recovered lands to store atmospheric carbon in the growing trees and protect the environment against damaging greenhouse gases. The stored carbon is sold as credits to secondary-source industry producers of greenhouse gases, who voluntarily pay for carbon credits (one “credit” is equivalent to one ton of stored carbon in the forest). Credits will not be sold to primary producers and consumers of fossil fuels which emit carbon-based greenhouse gases (gas and oil companies, for example). Revenues paid by greenhouse gas producers for Bois Forte carbon credits will come back to the Band for uses to be determined by the Bois Forte Tribal Council. Credits produced through normal tree growth processes are administrative in nature. No trees are harmed or removed to obtain carbon or to create credits. Preliminary work to define the amount of carbon stored in Bois Forte forests is complete. BFDNR is working with partners at the Nature Conservancy, Intertribal Land Tenure Foundation (ITLTF), Native Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC) and Terra-Carbon to develop Bois Forte-led stakeholder programs to identify important uses and wants for the lands by the Bois Forte Band over the next 50 years. The resulting Conservation, Culture and Biodiversity Plan (CCB Plan) will define and direct how the lands will be used sustainably, for all cultural and sustenance resource purposes, by the Bois Forte community, in the long term. Additional information about carbon banking and tribal initiatives can be viewed at www.indiancarbon.org

Wildland Fire Management Plan (FMP) – Bois Forte Forestry carries out management operations based upon a forest management plan. That plan document is provided below.

Document not currently available      Map not currently available

BFDNR and Energy Department Collaboration: BFDNR is pleased to actively collaborate with the Bois Forte Energy Department, Planning Department and IT Department to identify and explore alternate and sustainable energy and communication initiatives, to plan and initiate projects, and to find and secure grant funding for renewable and sustainable energy resource projects that benefit the Bois Forte Community.

Website Permits: BFDNR is actively pursuing development of an online permitting platform to allow interested Band Members to obtain hunting, rice harvesting and netting permits through the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa website. This initiative is in early-stage development and is anticipated to be incorporated as Bois Forte Website content in 2025.

Locations