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The Yurok Tribe has regained ownership of over 47,000 acres of its ancestral territory along the Klamath River, in the largest “land back” deal in California history.
The effort was spearheaded by Western Rivers Conservancy and began 23 years ago. The forest lands returned to the Tribe once contained ancient redwoods but were heavily logged over the past century. Tribal leaders say they will restore the forest and improve a watershed that is vital for salmon.
The completion of the “land back” effort coincides with last year's removal of four dams upstream on the Klamath, which enabled salmon to reach spawning areas that had been inaccessible for more than a century.
“We are salmon people,” said Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe. “The river takes care of us, and it’s our job to take care of the river.”
What the monument DOJ opinion really means
President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice released an opinion last week stating that the Antiquities Act gives presidents the power to shrink or eliminate national monuments. What does that mean, for example, if President Trump tries to undo Chuckwalla National Monument or shrink Bears Ears? Will the opinion stand up in court? Kate and Aaron put these questions and more to John Leshy, professor at UC Law and former Solicitor of the U.S. Department of the Interior under President Clinton, in the latest episode of the Center for Western Priorities' podcast, The Landscape.
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Don’t take the bait that this is about ‘affordable housing,’ as its proponent claims... It isn’t.”
