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DETROIT LAKES 鈥� The Becker County Board will host a meeting with the White Earth Nation on Tuesday, April 9, at 8:15 a.m. in the Becker County Courthouse Boardroom (913 Lake Ave., Detroit Lakes).

There is no allotted time for public comment on the agenda.

During the Becker County Board meeting on Tuesday, April 2, Interim County Administrator Carrie Smith said representatives of the White Earth Nation asked for two items to be placed on the agenda: a discussion regarding marijuana and a conversation about comprehensive planning.

Becker County Commissioner Barry Nelson said he would also like to discuss the White Earth Forest land transfer that state legislators have proposed with and .

Both bills were introduced by DFL representatives from the Minneapolis area. On April 2, a third author was added to the House Bill, Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura, DFL-Minneapolis.

The White Earth Forest spans 160,000 acres in Mahnomen, Clearwater, and Becker counties. The majority of the forest is within the boundaries of the White Earth Reservation. The forest has motorized and non-motorized trails, a boat launch, primitive camping opportunities, a fishing pier, a historic sight and a rest area, .

Nelson said he would like to ask tribal leaders what the county could do better in regard to land stewardship. He said that he would also like to know why tribal leaders believe they would be better equipped to manage the land.

Commissioner Richard Vareberg said he would like to know how the lives of enrolled tribal members would improve if White Earth were to own the forest.

Vareberg also expressed concern for property owners in the White Earth State Forest area, and how the land transfer would affect them.

Contributed Photo

White Earth Tribal Chairman Michael Fairbank has publicly stated the forest and its 65 miles of roads (and 70 miles of snowmobile trails) would remain open to the public, much like the 2,000 acres of former Potlatch land by Lower Rice Lake that White Earth purchased several years ago.

According to a June , the land purchase came with stipulations to keep all current accesses open, allowing the public to hunt and fish during appropriate seasons, and that the land could not be placed in a trust. The article noted if the conditions were not met, the land ownership would revert back to the state.

Nelson also expressed concern over how the land transfer could impact those who utilize the forest. He noted that while Fairbanks stated the forest would remain open, that could change. He pointed to a However, on the day of the hearing, the public was not allowed into the courtroom.

鈥淭heir input could change in a blink of an eye on what they want,鈥� Nelson said. 鈥淚t can change so fast, so you can go to committees at the state, and say this will stay open for the public forever, and in the blink of an eye, it can change. That type of behavior, at a simple meeting like that, shows, in my opinion, what can happen if that transfer happened.鈥�

Commissioner John Okeson said while the public wasn鈥檛 allowed into the hearing, he was able to testify along with Smith and Becker County Sheriff Todd Glander.

Smith said that she submitted a written response on behalf of the county after the meeting in White Earth. She said the correspondence was similar to what was sent to the state Legislature, which included the County Board鈥檚 resolution opposing the land transfer and written testimonies. She noted that the letter also expressed the county鈥檚 disappointment about public participation being restricted at the Tribal Court hearing.