WCB Supports Historic Return of Land to the Washoe People
On November 20th, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) awarded $5.5 million to the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust to support the purchase of 10,274 acres in the homelands of the Washoe Tribe. The property, located northeast of Lake Tahoe and approximately 20 miles north of Reno, encompasses a vast natural landscape known for its outstanding wildlife habitat. The lands to be acquired are largely surrounded by public lands managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and the 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. We are deeply grateful to the Wildlife Conservation Board for providing essential funding for this historic land purchase.”
The acquisition of Loyalton Ranch is the culmination of a four-year collaboration between the Washoe Tribe, the Northern Sierra Partnership and the Feather River Land Trust. “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.”
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 Northern Sierra Partnership and the Feather River Land Trust are working with the new Wášiw-šiw Land Trust to raise $8.6 million to acquire and steward the 10,274-acre property: $6 million for the acquisition and $2.6 million for stewardship. The grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board will cover the bulk of the purchase price, with the balance coming from individuals and foundations who have supported this effort through the Northern Sierra Partnership. The purchase is expected to close in January 2026.
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. “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.”
Loyalton Ranch West Side in Distance © Elizabeth Carmel | Loyalton Ranch Castle Rock to Sierra Valley © Elizabeth Carmel | Chairman Smokey | Mule Deer | Loyalton Ranch West Side © Elizabeth Carmel | Loyalton Ranch Pinyon Pine © Elizabeth Carmel | Loyalton Ranch East Side © Elizabeth Carmel