Keweenaw Bay Indian Community IFM Michigan, USA

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is part of the historic Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians located on both sides of the Keweenaw Bay. This community is part of the larger L’Anse Reservation which is both the oldest and the largest reservation in Michigan.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Forest Carbon Project area is located on approximately 15,356 acres of forests in Upper Peninsula Michigan. By committing to maintain forest carbon stocks above the regional baseline, the project will provide significant climate benefits through carbon sequestration.

The project provides a new revenue stream for forest landowners. By maintaining forests and ensuring sustainable forest management the project sustains the character and economic viability of local communities. Improving forest management will reduce habitat fragmentation, degradation and disturbance of water processes.

About National Indian Carbon Coalition (NICC)

The National Indian Carbon Coalition’s (NICC) mission is to preserve tribal land ownership and reduce the effects of climate change by conserving the natural resources of tribal lands in order to minimize human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Revenue generated from the development of carbon sequestration on tribal land will allow for tribes to acquire traditional homelands, develop additional renewable energy projects, and support the tribal community members through social programs.

About Keweenaw Bay's Indian Community

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) is a federally recognized Indian tribe and the successor in interest of the L’Anse Band of Chippewa Indians. Established under the Treaty of 1854, the L’Anse Reservation is the oldest and largest in Michigan. The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted the Treaty of 1854 as creating permanent homelands for the Chippewa (Ojibwa Anishnabek) signatories to the treaty. The Treaty of 1842 was one of the largest land cession agreements ever made between the U.S. government and Indian tribes. It stipulates that the Chippewa retain their rights to fish, hunt and gather on the ceded lands. 

The Tribe’s constitution, by-laws and corporate charter were adopted on Nov. 7, l836 pursuant to the terms of the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act which established tribal governments as we know them today. In 1966, Keweenaw Bay became one of four founding members of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan. 

The Reservation is located on pristine lands on the southern shores of Lake Superior (Gitchi Gumee: Big Sea Water) straddling both sides of Keweenaw Peninsula. There are about 3,600 tribal members whose land includes both the L’Anse and Ontonagon Indian Reservations. The L’Anse Indian Reservation consists of approximately 59,000 acres, including 19 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, 3,000 acres of wetlands, and 80 miles of rivers within five watersheds. The historic means of subsistence for Tribal members centered around fishing, hunting, gathering, harvesting of wild rice (Menomin: the good grain), maple-sugaring and lumbering. 

In August 2020, KBIC Tribal Council voted to move forward with a carbon development project and enrolled 15,000+ acres of tribal forestland, a decision that complemented the Tribe’s sustainable timber management efforts. Ongoing carbon storage will be regularly monitored through forest inventories. The project is being developed as part of the Tribal Land Conservation Initiative and the plan is to use the funds generated to meet KBIC’s environmental vision, which includes maintaining the pristine waters of Lake Superior, ensuring that the Tribe has a long-term land use plan and can implement sustainable management practices on its tribal homelands.

In addition to delivering emission reductions over the project’s lifetime to take climate action (SDG 13), the project delivers additional benefits:

• Clean Water and Sanitation: Increases proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality through reduced soil erosion and water protection
• Decent Work and Economic Growth: Increases tourism, an important resource to the local economy
• Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure: Increases revenue streams to local communities
• Sustainable Cities and Communities: Increases the character and economic viability of local communities
• Climate Action: Decreases greenhouse gas emissions i.e. carbon dioxide
• Life on Land: Decreases degraded land area and increases sustainable forest management. The project will generate significant environmental benefits including habitat protection for wildlife, trees, and plant species.