Critical salmon habitat and 125 acres of land handed over to indigenous CA tribe after Gold Rush era loss

A massive part of the coastal Redwood land in Northern California is now back in the hands of a Native American Tribe, protecting a critical salmon habitat and giving the public an unprecedented experience.

Save the Redwoods League nonprofit group announced on Tuesday 125 acres near the Redwood National and State Parks (RNSP) — in the heart of the Yurok Tribe’s ancestral territory — was conveyed back to the tribe on June 30.

Officials called it a “transformational agreement that prioritizes tribal land-management practices, creates a new public space and permanently protects critical salmon habitat.” 

The new tribally owned and operated recreational area on Prairie Creek is called the O Rew Redwoods Gateway. It is located off the US Highway 101 at the base of Bald Hills Road in Orick. 

“During the mid-1800s, there was an attempt to forcibly remove Yurok people from their homeland, to expedite exploitation of the region’s natural resources, such as salmon and old-growth coast redwood trees, many of which were milled at the ‘O Rew property,” the release read.

During this time, the Tribe lost more than 90 percent of its land, however now it’s once again a “place where Yurok people can reconnect with the land and feel at home for the first time in generations.”

“This project represents a truly just approach to the restoration of culturally important landscapes and tribal communities,” Joseph L. James, the Chairman of the Yurok Tribe, said.

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“I hope it sets a national standard for collaboration between environmental protection groups and Tribal nations.”

Officials said new trails at the site will give visitors a chance to see a part of California they’ve never seen before.

“The freshly laid trails introduce a new segment of the California Coastal Trail and connect with RNSP, providing easy access to some of California’s most prolific old-growth coast redwood stands, including the popular Lady Bird Johnson Grove,” per the announcement.

In 2013, the nonprofit purchased the land — which had been covered by acres of asphalt, a former lumber mill and an 80 acre cattle pasture, not to mention a stream channel used by salmon that was cut down to almost nothing by invasive plants.

The plan was to restore the area and expand recreational access and connectivity in the area.

In 2021 a collaborative five-year restoration of Prairie Creek and construction of the Gateway began to restore the once highly productive fish and wildlife habitat.

“Over five years, the Yurok Tribe Construction Corporation and Yurok Fisheries Department built a one-mile-long braided channel, two off-channel ponds, 20 acres of wetlands and 20 acres of upland habitat designed by more than a dozen groups with restoration expertise,” per the release, along with planting native seedlings. 

And it’s working, with hundreds of endangered juvenile coho salmon, along with western pond turtles and great blue herons, already using the area, officials said. Animals like bears, elk, deer, and more are coming back too.

Steve Mietz, President and CEO of the nonprofit organization, said this shows “what is possible when people come together with a shared commitment to healing the land and honoring its history.”

The area is set to open to the public August 1.