KLAMATH, CA — In a landmark achievement for Indigenous sovereignty and environmental conservation, the Yurok Tribe has reclaimed more than 47,000 acres of ancestral territory along the Klamath River. The monumental 2025 victory is now recognized as the largest single “land back” transaction in California’s history.
The deal is the culmination of a 23-year struggle and represents not only justice for past land theft but also a powerful step toward ecological restoration and cultural renewal.
The Sacred Heart of Yurok Territory
The newly returned land, now designated the Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest, includes 25 miles of the Klamath River’s eastern bank and the entire lower watershed of Blue Creek.
For the Yurok people, this is more than geography. It is the spiritual and cultural heart of their identity — a place central to ceremony, sustenance, and tradition.
The land was seized in the late 1800s during the California Gold Rush, when violent displacement and exploitation stripped the tribe of more than 90% of their homeland. For over a century, the territory was managed as industrial timberland, resulting in massive ecological damage.
Clear-cut logging and road construction choked streams, raised water temperatures, and destroyed critical salmon habitats, devastating the Yurok way of life.
How the Victory Was Won
The reclamation became possible through a long partnership with the Western Rivers Conservancy (WRC), which began acquiring parcels in 2009 from the Green Diamond Resource Company.
The $56 million acquisition was financed through:
- Private philanthropy
- Low-interest loans
- Federal tax credits
- An innovative program of carbon credit sales, which will also provide sustainable funding for the tribe’s restoration efforts.
“No words can describe how we feel knowing that our land is coming back to the ownership of the Yurok people,” said Joseph James, chairman of the Yurok Tribal Council. “The Klamath River is our highway. It is also our food source. And it takes care of us. And so it’s our job, our inherent right, to take care of the Klamath Basin and its river.”
Healing the Land and River
The Yurok Tribe now plans to restore the territory using traditional ecological knowledge combined with modern science. Plans include:
- Controlled Fire – Reintroducing prescribed burns to restore biodiversity and reduce wildfire risks.
- Habitat Restoration – Replanting native species, removing invasives, and reviving historic prairies crucial to elk, deer, and medicinal plants.
- River Healing – Removing old logging roads, repairing culverts, and placing fallen trees in streams to rebuild salmon and steelhead habitats.
This victory aligns with the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, the largest dam removal project in U.S. history. Together, these efforts mark a historic turning point in river restoration and salmon recovery.
A Blueprint for the Future
The Yurok Tribe’s achievement is not only a triumph of justice but also an inspiring model for the broader Land Back movement. By combining perseverance, partnerships, and innovative financing, they have shown how Indigenous communities can reclaim stewardship of their lands while creating a healthier, more resilient environment for future generations.
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