The California Wildlife Conservation Board voted Nov. 20 to grant $5.5 million to the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust to support the purchase of 10,274 acres in the Washoe tribal homelands. The property, which is being sold at $6 million by the city of Santa Clara, is located to the south and east of Plumas County and comprises three parcels that span the range from Long Valley in the east to Sierra Valley in the west.
“It feels good. Great,” said Serell Smokey, chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, a few hours after the vote had passed. “It won’t really hit until we have that title in hand and we get our people out there, but it’s really exciting.”
The purchase is expected to go into full effect in January 2026, and will triple the amount of land currently held by the Washoe Tribe. It is one of the largest land returns in the Sierra Nevada region and was facilitated through a collaboration between the Washoe Tribe, the Feather River Land Trust and the Northern Sierra Partnership…