Over 17,000 acres of land, elk, returned to local native tribe

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Over 17,000 acres of land in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Central Valley were returned to the Tule River Tribe, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

The new 17,030 acres of land will be located in the Yowlumne Hills, near the Tule River Indian Reservation.

“This land return demonstrates the very essence of tribal land restoration, which expands access to essential food and medicinal resources,” said Tule River Tribal Council Chairman Leister “Shine” R. Nieto Jr. “It also supports the ongoing preservation of cultural sites, deepens environmental stewardship, and restores wildlife reintroduction efforts. ”

To support the reclamation, the Governor also announced the reintroduction of elk, which once roamed the hills, supporting the natives before they too were driven out.

“Absent for decades, the tule elk will help restore sacred homelands, renew access to traditional foods and medicines, and strengthen Cultural continuity for future generations,” the governor’s office said.

The governor’s office says the elk will also help restore the land’s ecological community, which they say has seen a resurgence of gray wolves.

The ancestral land return is the largest to date in the Sierra Nevada foothills and Central Valley region and advances the state’s goal to conserve 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030.