Yurok Tribe Regains 125 Acres of Redwood Land, Securing Salmon Habitat and New Public Trail

After more than a century of dispossession, the Yurok Tribe regained 125 acres of coastal redwood forest that had been owned by the Save the Redwoods League. The land, situated along Prairie Creek at the base of Bald Hills Road near Orick, was formally transferred on June 30 and will operate as the O Rew Redwoods Gateway, a tribally managed recreation zone. Restoration efforts launched in 2013 removed asphalt, an old lumber mill, and invasive plants, then constructed a one-mile braided creek, two off-channel ponds, 20 acres of wetlands and upland habitat, and replanted native seedlings.

These actions have already attracted endangered juvenile coho salmon, western pond turtles, great blue herons, and larger mammals such as bears and elk. Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James called the agreement a “truly just approach” to cultural landscape restoration, while Save the Redwoods League CEO Steve Mietz highlighted the partnership’s broader significance. New trails will connect the site to the California Coastal Trail and the nearby Lady Bird Johnson Grove, with public access scheduled to begin on August 1.