CRANDON, Wis. (Dec. 14, 2016) – The Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCP) and the U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to allow for more cooperation and government-to-government communication between the two parties.
The Potawatomi and Forest Service sought to get an MOU because a large percentage of the Tribe’s reservation lands in northern Wisconsin are within or near the boundaries of the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
The Forest Service and Indian tribes have a unique relationship that is government-to-government. This MOU recognizes the Potawatomi as a sovereign nation and affirms the Forest Service’s commitment to this relationship.
“We are extremely excited to begin this new era of cooperation and communication with the Forest Service,” said FCP Chairman Harold “Gus” Frank. “This is going to lead to great opportunities for both the Potawatomi and the Forest Service.”
The MOU provides a framework for cooperation between the Potawatomi and the Forest Service regarding issues of mutual concern. This includes natural resource management, forest ecosystem management, wildlife management, invasive species management, water and air quality management; access to each other’s lands, roads and trails; historic preservation and cultural resource management; and training and education.
National Forests have important historical, spiritual, and cultural significance for Tribes. Forests often serve as a source of traditional medicines, food, firewood and basketry materials. Consultation with tribes provides an invaluable means of obtaining expert advice, ideas, information, and diverse opinions from American Indians in an effort to work together collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes for ecosystem health and cultural values.
“I am very pleased that we are entering into an agreement with the Forest County Potawatomi Community,” said Kathleen Atkinson, Regional Forester of Eastern Region. “We are looking forward to moving forward in a collaborative environment.”
About the USDA Forest Service
The U.S. Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a mission of sustaining the health, diversity and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest covers more than 1.5 million acres of Wisconsin’s Northwoods. The Chequamegon side of the forest covers about 858,400 acres in Ashland, Bayfield, Sawyer, Price, Taylor and Vilas counties while the Nicolet side covers nearly 661,400 acres in Florence, Forest, Langlade, Oconto, Oneida and Vilas counties. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/CNNF.
About the Forest County Potawatomi Community
The Forest County Potawatomi Community is a federally-recognized Native American tribe headquartered in Crandon, Wis., with a membership of approximately 1,400. The tribe employs roughly 3,500 people in Wisconsin through its government and business operations, which include a Health & Wellness Center in Crandon, hotel casinos in Milwaukee and Carter, Wis., and subsidiary companies owned by the Potawatomi Business Development Corporation – the economic development and income diversification business of the FCPC. For more information on the FCPC, please visit www.fcpotawatomi.com.