A purchase sale agreement is in place for the Hoopa Valley Tribe to buy 10,300 acres in the Klamath River watershed. The project is part of the tribe’s overall plan to reclaim ancestral territories and could connect the Lacks Creek Management Area with Redwood State and National Parks with a trail.
The sale area, called the Pine Creek Track, is near the western edge of the 92,000-acre Hoopa Valley Reservation. Joe Davis, chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, said the land parcel is historically within Hoopa territory.
“It’s such a great opportunity to reclaim some of our historical territory and land. The ability to manage our fish spawning grounds and the cultural resources that come along with that property is just a huge benefit to the tribe. And it’ll be a blessing to future generations for years to come,” said Davis.
He added the tribe is looking at public access with the project, including a trail that would connect the Lacks Creek Management Area to the Redwood National and State Parks up north.
“We think that’ll be a real positive for the public,” he said.
The land was used for industrial timber production, according to a state Coastal Conservancy project document. It states that sediment from timber harvesting in the area has impacted nearby streams and rivers, where fish spawn.
The project also includes potential oak remediation and restored habitat for elk, California condors and salmon.
“If the lands around us are healthy, then we tend to be more healthy and we rely on these lands for so many purposes,” said Davis, noting clean drinking water, plant and animal gathering, and prayer spots. The project document notes the property contains sacred areas that have been inaccessible to the tribe for more than 100 years.
Davis added that for the project, they have confirmed $9.5 million in funding, but need a total of $14.1million by the end of the calendar year, and are looking for funders to contribute.
$4.5 million of the funding comes from a state Coastal Conservancy grant, which is contingent on the seller not raising the price above fair market value. A project document stated the tribe secured the other $5 million from private funders.
“(The state Coastal Conservancy’s) funding to support the Hoopa Valley Tribe in reacquiring 10,300 acres of their ancestral lands is a positive example of addressing historical wrongs and building meaningful partnerships with the original stewards of the land to pursue our shared climate and restoration goals,” said California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs Geneva E.B. Thompson in a prepared statement.
