| Dear John, |
This is a historic moment and we want you to be one of the first people to hear about this exciting and hopeful vision in the redwood forest.
Yesterday, we took historic first steps towards creating ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway, a remarkable connector to Redwood National and State Parks that will provide opportunities to explore living Indigenous culture and spectacular redwood groves. Yesterday we signed a landmark agreement with our partners, the Yurok Tribe, National Park Service, and California State Parks, describing this exciting vision and our shared commitment to transfer the ‘O Rew property from the League back to its original stewards, the Yurok Tribe.
“We acknowledge and celebrate the opportunity to return Indigenous guardianship to ‘O Rew and reimagine how millions of visitors from around the world experience the redwoods,” said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League. “This agreement starts the process of changing the narrative about how, by whom, and for whom we steward natural lands.”
The vision for ‘O Rew represents a groundbreaking conservation model—a first-ever arrangement in which the National Park Service and California State Parks would support management and public visitation on land owned and permanently protected by the Yurok Tribe. We are so excited to innovate and build this model with our partners at the doorstep to a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
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‘O Rew encompasses 125 acres of ecologically significant land just outside Orick, California, surrounded by some of the largest remaining old-growth redwood groves in the world. This was once the degraded site of the Orick sawmill, until a five-year, $23 million restoration project—spearheaded by the League, California Trout, the Yurok Tribe, and other local partners—revived the section of Prairie Creek that runs through the property. Young coho and Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and other wildlife are already reaping the benefits.
Our vision for ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway builds on this ecological success story, with plenty of important and meaningful work to do before the 2026 transfer. Right now, we are focused on a $9 million project to construct robust visitor amenities, engaging interpretive displays, and new hiking trails—including a connection to the spectacular Lady Bird Johnson Grove. We’ve identified $7 million in support, and we are currently raising the remaining $2 million needed to complete this incredible site transformation.
With our partners and your ongoing commitment, we can achieve this shared vision for ‘O Rew Redwoods Gateway, giving people from near and far the opportunity to experience the ancient redwoods through the lens of Indigenous culture.
It is a pleasure to announce this bold vision to you. This is just the beginning, and we look forward to sharing more about this exciting project. |
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Sincerely,
Save the Redwoods League |
| Photos: top, Evan-Marie Petit, @evanmariepetit; bottom, CalTrout/Michael Wier. |
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