Study: Mille Lacs economy suffers as treaty regulations limit fishing and hunting rights for residents

(BOSTON -August 2, 2012) Since a 1999 Supreme Court ruling upholding the fishing harvest rights of the Mille Lacs Chippewa Band of Chippewa’s, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has increased the band’s allocation of fish on Lake Mille Lacs to over 142,000 pounds of fish. In response to the ensuing scarcity, the Minnesota DNR has imposed restrictions on residents not bound by the treaty. These regulations are stifling the local Mille Lacs economy, 14.7 percent which are dependent on industries related to hunting and fishing and leisure and hospitality. Read More.