An excerpt from the Times-Standard article:
According to the tribe, the draft legislation — which outlines the transfer of 1,204 acres of Redwood National Park land to the Yurok Tribal Park System — is a part of the tribe’s plans to reclaim ancestral territory. The tribe is scheduled to make a presentation on the matter to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday at 10 a.m.
The draft legislation also asks for an additional 285 acres of public lands and the inclusion of the California Coastal National Monument Redding Rock and would designate a conservation status to the Yurok Experimental Forest — 1,198 acres that are north of the national park land.
In a public meeting in March, tribal leaders spoke about the importance of the lands to the tribe’s culture, traditional hunting and gathering, and ceremonies. Environmentalists in attendance expressed concern over the precedent the legislation could set — transferring already protected land to a sovereign nation — particularly legislation that doesn’t come with a finalized management plan.
Yurok Tribe Policy Analyst Troy Fletcher said last week that the tribe has been working with groups since the meeting to address concerns in order to improve its draft before submitting it for consideration. He said the change in management is not intended to affect public access or the park land’s sustainability.
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