The Yurok Tribe’s land base, long confined to a narrow strip to either side of the lower Klamath River, will more than double in size now with a just-completed acquisition of 22,237 acres from Green Diamond Resource Company.
The tribe announced the acquisition in a news release this afternoon, noting that it will allow for restoration of river, forest and cultural resources.
The project will protect habitat for seven aquatic species, including: coho salmon, steelhead trout, Chinook salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, southern torrent salamander, and tailed frog, as called for in Green Diamond’s Aquatic Habitat Conservation Plan approved several years ago. The Tribe’s approach to forestry will promote old-growth habitat and forest diversity that will benefit a number of imperiled species, including marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, fisher, Humboldt marten and mardon skipper.
The acquisition was a joint effort between the tribe, the timber company, the State Water Resources Control Board — which gave loaned the tribe $18.75 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to buy the land — and the Western Rivers Conservancy, which also provided financing. Said Yurok Tribal Chairman Thomas O’Rourke:
“The Tribe has long sought the return of ancestral land to create a salmon sanctuary and restore tribal cultural management practices, which benefit fish, wildlife and the ecosystem as a whole. … [The Tribe] looks forward to managing these lands in the way they were meant to be, which is for all species.”
This article appears in The Hill.
whatevs we all know the tribes dont have fishing regs, they take as much as they want, as i see it this just means more lands for peeps to party, fish, and spotlight hunt from their trucks.
and what does this do for monitoring? green diamond was goin broke with all the regs, but does this mean that the state & feds wont have any right to enforce ceqa, nepa, etc?
Wow, nothing quite like racism and bigotry to throw a shadow on such great news.
Great, give them even more land to cook meth in almost everybodys trailer, or hide out from a felon.
yes racism is alive and well in humboldt county, glad those people are to scared to come to res so we can enjoy the beauty of the land and the river without them.
The Yurok Tribe has full time, onsite staff to go over all tribal projects for NEPA, CEQA, et. al. compliance.
And this is called double pay. First their land is stolen from them; then they get to buy it back. What a deal!
At this point what’s causing Green Diamond’s money loss is a deflated housing market.
Welcome to the real world, NotCool and Wayne.
Well, well, well. I happen to think this is wonderfully good news.
The Yurok Tribe is obligated to continue with current regulations on the newly acquired land, and has entered into agreements to further preserve the natural resources. We also do have a heavily regulated fishing industry which you may credit for the increase in salmon population over the last ten years. This is why I like this anonymous format – I get to hear from ignorant punks (notcool and wayne) who would otherwise keep their mouths shut in front of my face.
“green diamond was goin broke with all the regs”
That’s like saying pot growers who charged $5,000/lb. for twenty years are suddenly growing broke because now they only get $4,000. Simpson Timber…excuse me…Greed Diamond Resources (PR bullshit) management somehow escaped “going broke” enough to buy themselves vacation homes, bigger trucks, etc. etc. etc. while laying off workers, etc. etc. etc. And they continue to clearcut, etc. etc. etc. Fuck them.