The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the White Earth Nation have reached a formal agreement on natural resource management within the White Earth State Forest.

During a ceremony at the State Capitol on Tuesday, Governor Tim Walz and leaders of the White Earth Nation signed a memorandum of understanding outlining a long-term framework for managing land, water, fish, and wildlife in the forest. While the DNR and the White Earth Nation have worked cooperatively on forest management for many years, this marks the first time the partnership has been formally documented.

White Earth Nation Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbanks said the agreement represents an important step toward restoring Tribal cultural, historical, and environmental values. He noted that the MOU establishes a collaborative management approach that supports Tribal stewardship of ancestral homelands and decision-making rooted in cultural responsibility.

The agreement outlines coordination in several key areas, including aquatic invasive species prevention, fisheries, forestry, land management, water resources, wildlife, and wild rice.