South Fork Gualala River Acquisition

In June, 2026, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission awarded $750,000 to the Western Rivers Conservancy (with Kashia Band of Pomo Indians) through the Priority Conservation Area (PCA) Grant Program, to protect 298 acres of river corridor and redwood forest, supporting habitat restoration and Tribal cultural uses.

[Excerpt:]

Western Rivers Conservancy is working to conserve the 298-acre South Fork Gualala property, which lies along 1.2 miles of the South Fork Gualala River. This effort builds on our recent project on the Wheatfield Fork, where WRC conserved 4,440 acres of land spanning 6.6 miles of river and tributary streams in 2022. . . .

WRC’s goal is to purchase the South Fork Gualala property and convey it to the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, whose ancestral lands encompass this area. The Tribe plans to use both current forestry methods and Traditional Ecological Knowledge to restore nearly 300 acres of second growth redwoods to accelerate progress toward a mature forest. This will benefit the river and its fish by reducing sediment loads and water temperature, while improving habitat for a variety of aquatic and terrestrial species.

The acquisition will also provide new opportunities for tribal members to reconnect with their ancestral territory and engage in traditional cultural activities on their own land. Given our shared conservation vision for the Gualala River, this is a partnership that will deliver critically important gains for the river system, its fish and wildlife and the people who call this place home.

To read the complete article, visit the Western Rivers Conservancy.