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- By Tribal Business News Staff
- Real Estate
California officials plan to transfer 136 acres of Blues Beach and nearby bluffs in Mendocino County to Kai Poma, a nonprofit formed by three local tribes with ancestral ties to the coastline.
Kai Poma represents the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
The California Transportation Commission approved the conveyance after the parties completed boundary lines, agreed on access terms and environmental reviews, and completed management plans. The transfer is moving through its final administrative stages and is expected to be finalized within two months, per a press release from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office.
The action follows Senate Bill 231, signed in 2021, which authorized Caltrans to convey the property and required continued public access. The law also bars commercial activity on the site.
Kai Poma Chairman Eddie Knight said the return will support cultural practices tied to the shoreline and reconnect local tribes with ancestral homelands affected by forced relocation.
“Ancestral lands hold profound importance to California Indian communities,” Knight said in a statement. “Preserving and restoring Blues Beach supports ongoing tribal practices such as harvesting food, harvesting medicine, and safeguarding sites of historical and spiritual significance.”
Once the transfer is complete, Kai Poma will manage the property under cultural, environmental and public access commitments. Caltrans will retain an easement for future maintenance.
California acquired the land in the 1960s as part of a plan to create Highway 1 scenic overlooks and recreational opportunities. Blues Beach has remained a popular public recreation site, and state officials say access will continue under tribal stewardship, Gov. Newsom’s office wrote.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said the transfer “acknowledges the deep cultural, historical, and ecological significance” of the area to local tribes and advances the state’s efforts to return stewardship responsibilities to tribal communities.
The conveyance is part of a broader California policy to return ancestral lands and expand tribal stewardship of state-controlled property. Newsom directed state agencies in 2020 to work with tribes on land return, co-management and access to ancestral territories.
The administration says California has awarded more than $200 million through tribal and conservation grant programs to support the return of more than 100,000 acres to California tribes. Those awards are separate from the Blues Beach conveyance, which was authorized by the Legislature.
