Overview

• The transfer caps a 23-year effort by the Yurok Tribe and Western Rivers Conservancy to reclaim homelands lost when settlers seized 90 percent of Yurok territory during the California Gold Rush.
• The newly acquired 47,000 acres double tribal holdings and include miles of waterfront along Blue Creek and the Klamath River adjacent to the reservation.
• Most of the land will be managed as a salmon sanctuary while the remainder operates as a community forest for sustainable logging and ecosystem restoration.
• This acquisition builds on last year’s removal of four Klamath River dams by securing critical cold-water refuge for steelhead and salmon migrations in Blue Creek.
• A $56 million financing package combining private capital, carbon credits, tax credits, public grants and low-interest loans made the deal possible and serves as a model for future land-back efforts.