Purchase will return a rich natural landscape in the northern Washoe homelands to the ownership and care of the Washoe people through a newly formed land trust
Today the California Wildlife Conservation Board awarded $5.5 million to the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust to support the purchase of 10,274 acres in the Washoe tribal homelands. The property, which is located northeast of Lake Tahoe and approximately 20 miles north of Reno, encompasses a vast natural landscape known for its outstanding wildlife habitat. The acreage is largely surrounded by public lands managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
“The reclamation of these Washoe homelands is of great importance. Wá·šiw people were once forcefully removed from these lands. This plays a huge part in the trauma our people go through. Now the land is calling the Washoe people home and we are answering that call,” said Washoe Tribe Chairman Serrell Smokey. “We are deeply grateful to the Wildlife Conservation Board for providing essential funding for this historic land purchase by the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust.”
The property the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust plans to acquire is vast and diverse. It straddles the mountains, from Long Valley in the east to Sierra Valley in the west. The landscape rises from sagebrush scrub and grasslands to conifer forests, aspen groves and mountain meadows. It includes pinyon pines, juniper woodlands, rocky crags, springs and perennial creeks. Pronghorn, mule deer, mountain lion and gray wolf range through the property, moving from winter habitat in the east to summer habitat in the west. The land also supports plants of cultural importance to the Washoe, including pinyon pine, a food source that has been devastated by recent wildfires throughout the Washoe homelands.
The Tribal Council of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California formed the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust earlier this year to facilitate the return of land from throughout the tribe’s expansive Sierra homelands to the ownership and care of the Washoe people.
The Wášiw-šiw Land Trust is working to raise $8.6 million to acquire and steward the 10,274-acre Loyalton Ranch property: $6 million for the acquisition and $2.6 million for stewardship. The City of Santa Clara is the willing seller of the property. This grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board will cover the bulk of the purchase price. The purchase is expected to close in January 2026.
“This project reflects what’s possible when state, tribal and conservation partners work together to protect land that holds deep cultural and ecological importance,” said Jennifer Norris, executive director of the Wildlife Conservation Board. “We are honored to support the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust in reclaiming this landscape and carrying forward the cultural knowledge and land management practices that have shaped it for thousands of years.”
The acquisition of Loyalton Ranch by the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust is the culmination of a four-year collaboration between the Washoe Tribe, the Northern Sierra Partnership and the Feather River Land Trust. Loyalton Ranch is the first of several acquisitions the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust hopes to complete in the northern Washoe homelands.
“It has been an honor to collaborate with the Washoe Tribe and the Feather River Land Trust to bring this historic land return to fruition,” added Lucy Blake, president of the Northern Sierra Partnership. “How fitting that the biggest land conservation project we’ve ever completed should result in the return of more than 10,000 acres to the ownership and care of Washoe people, its original stewards! We are absolutely thrilled.”
“We are honored to play our small part in conserving this vast landscape and helping the Washoe people launch their new land trust. We look forward to continuing collaboration with the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust for many years to come,” noted Corey Pargee, executive director of the Feather River Land Trust.
“Getting the Washoe people back onto the land is healing for the people and for the land,” concluded Chairman Smokey. “The Wá·šiw have managed these lands for thousands of years. Now we can bring those management practices back.”
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About the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust
The Tribal Council of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California formed the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust in 2025 to facilitate the return of land throughout the tribe’s vast Sierra Nevada homelands to the ownership and care of the Washoe people.
About the Feather River Land Trust
The Feather River Land Trust conserves the lands and waters of the Feather River region and stewards their ecological, cultural, and educational values for current and future generations.
About the Northern Sierra Partnership
The Northern Sierra Partnership is a collaborative initiative to conserve, restore and expand opportunities to enjoy the magnificent natural landscapes of the Northern Sierra Nevada and build the foundation for sustainable rural prosperity.
