Last month, the Washoe Tribe purchased over 10,000 acres of ancestral land north of Lake Tahoe, California. It’s land they were pushed off during the California Gold Rush, 175 years ago. Now it’s theirs again. The property stretches across sagebrush flats rising into conifer forests and aspen groves, home to pronghorn antelope, mountain lions, and golden eagles. The city of Santa Clara had owned it since 1977, originally planning geothermal development that never materialized. When they decided to sell, an opportunity opened. The tribe will rename it the Wélmelti Preserve, after the Washoe people who had lived in the area. They plan to use it for ceremonies, to restore groves of pinyon pine whose nuts are a traditional food source, and to create programs where young tribal members can learn about their language and culture. The land trust is working to raise an additional $2 million to help with restoration and stewardship projects on the property. As tribal chairman Serrell Smokey said, regaining the land is part of a healing process for his people. His great-grandmother once lived a few miles from the property. “It’s a full circle,” he said, “Having land we can call our own will help us reclaim the things we used to do.” The deal came together through the work of multiple partners—the Feather River Land Trust, the state Wildlife Conservation Board, private donors, and the Northern Sierra Partnership, which Becky and I founded in 2007. It took years of relationship-building and trust. Lucy Blake, the Partnership’s president, called it the most exciting project they’ve ever worked on. Some projects remind you why the work matters. This has been one of them. You can learn more about the Wélmelti Preserve and find a link to donate here.https://wasi-siwlandtrust.org/
