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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
The Wiyot Tribe has regained a portion of its ancestral lands as part of a 175-acre acquisition along northern California’s Elk River, where a nonprofit and state agency are working to restore the river’s estuary.
California Trout (CalTrout), a 501-c-3, and the state's California State Coastal Conservancy led the acquisition, which includes four former ranch land parcels along the largest tributary to the Humboldt Bay.
Three parcels will eventually transfer to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Elk River Wildlife Area for ecological restoration, while a fourth has been returned to the Wiyot Tribe.
“Chwanuchguk, ‘a ridge comes down there,’ is a traditional fishing village where Wiyot people lived, harvested food, and smoked fish since time immemorial,” said Wiyot Tribal Chair Brian Mead. “Access to the Hikshari’ (Elk) River and fish restoration on the Hikshari’ (Elk) River is of vital importance to the continuation of the tribe’s cultural practices.”
The site has long been a focal point for tribal heritage and sustains practices that connect the people to the Elk River, Mead said in a statement.
Years of intensive timber harvest and agriculture have altered the watershed, according to CalTrout. The organization’s restoration plan aims to expand tidal marsh and salmon habitat, while reducing flooding and risks from rising sea-levells.
The $1.8 million acquisition was funded through a grant from the State Coastal Conservancy, with additional support from The Conservation Alliance.
“CalTrout is proud to lead this collaborative restoration effort in the Elk River watershed, which is not only vital to the health of local ecosystems but also to the local communities who live here,” said Darren Mierau, CalTrout’s North Coast Regional Director.
Plans include upgrades to public access amenities at the Elk River Wildlife Area for educational and recreational opportunities. CalTrout will continue working with its engineering and science team, private landowners, state agency partners, and the Wiyot Tribe on restoration efforts, according to Mierau.
