Just off the northern California coast, nestled against the edge of Redwood National and State Parks, is a place the Yurok Tribe calls ‘O Rew. This important parcel of land is set to be returned to the tribe as part of a historic agreement that was finalized in March.
The Yurok Tribe – which has already begun to restore the 125 acres – will manage the land with help from the National Park Service and California State Parks in the first arrangement of its kind.
Steve Mietz, superintendent of Redwood National and State Parks, said the agreement deepens the relationship between his office and the Yurok.
“Usually, [it] was the tribe coming to National Park Service lands and providing their expertise,” Mietz said. “Now it's going to be flipped around a little bit. They're the owners, and the Park Service is going to provide our help and support to the Yurok.”
The Yurok will create a series of trails that connect to the Redwood National and State Parks nearby, and hopes to build a cultural center to educate people about tribal history. Rosie Clayburn is the tribe's cultural resources director.
“It's an important piece. Every piece is really important. Yurok will always continue to fight to regain all of our ancestral territory back. That's not a hidden fact,” Clayburn said. “It's written into our constitution. That's our mandate we work on every day here.”
The land is important for the tribe culturally, and was used as a hub for trade, said Phillip Williams who is a tribal council member.
“In ancient times, it would have been a meeting place 'cause all of our trails converge at that one area,” he said.
Prairie Creek runs through the land and was a vital source of salmon and trout, Williams said.
“All the rivers and creeks along the coast, they were a food source and [provided] materials. Basket materials. Medicines. Basically that was our grocery store and our refrigerator,” Williams said.
But the land – like many other parts of the Yurok's territory – was stolen from them and badly damaged during the 19th century Gold Rush and by timber companies. ‘O Rew was later the site of a sawmill, one that Williams worked at when he was younger. He said the mill ravaged the land and the river.
“The sawmill was a dirty place. It had oils and chemicals, and things spilled all over,” he said. “So our waterways were considered dump sites where they would just pour whatever waste they had into the creek, into the waterways, and pollute it.”
The timber mill stopped operating in 2009, but its footprint still scars the land. Giant slabs of asphalt and concrete foundations remain, along with a few collapsing structures.
After the mill shut down, the property was purchased in 2013 by the nonprofit Save the Redwoods League. They partnered with the Yurok to start the years-long process of restoring the land. Native grasses and trees have been planted all along the riverbank, and crews continue to remove invasive plants elsewhere on the land.
Laura Lalemand is a senior scientist with Save the Redwoods League.
“Another big part of the project is creating juvenile fish habitat,” Lalemand said. “That's created optional ponds, backwater areas and other features in the stream that allow spaces for juvenile fish to rear.”
Before the restoration began, Prairie Creek had very steep banks and flowed too fast. But now the stream is flowing healthily. It has curves and shallow pools.
Williams said the effects of the restoration are already apparent.
“There's a reward, a cherry on top when you see fish move right in there immediately and start using the habitat that we just built,” he said.
The Yurok will continue restoring the land in partnership with Save the Redwoods League and will formally take ownership of the land in 2026.
Editor's note: NSPR first reported this story for NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday on March 30, 2024
