Over the past decade, the Northern Sierra Partnership has been working with Tribal partners in the Northern Sierra—the Mountain Maidu and Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California—to identify and pursue opportunities to return land to their ownership.

One of those opportunities has now become a reality.

On February 11th, 2026, our five-year partnership with the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California and the Feather River Land Trust bore sweet fruit. The Tribe’s new land trust – the Waší·šiw Land Trust – acquired 10,274 acres in their northern homelands and established the WélmeltiɁ Preserve. The acquisition is the largest tribal land return ever completed in the Sierra Nevada and the third largest in California.

Located at the convergence of the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada northeast of Lake Tahoe, the WélmeltiɁ Preserve encompasses forests, sagebrush, meadows, springs, and creeks. It also supports a remarkable diversity of wildlife, from pronghorn and mule deer to mountain lion, wild turkey, and gray wolves.

Restoring the Washoe people's connection to this land is vital to the health of the land and the people. The Northern Washoe – or wélmeltiɁ - lived in the area for thousands of years before being forcibly removed by colonial …. Returning the land to the ownership and care of the Washoe is an important step toward healing generations of historical trauma. The Waší·šiw Land Trust will restore the land using practices passed down through the generations with the goal of enhancing the land’s health, restoring the abundance of culturally important plants and animals and expanding food sovereignty.

But our work isn't finished. The Feather River Land Trust and the Northern Sierra Partnership are continuing to work with the Waší·šiw Land Trust to expand the Preserve and raise funds for its long-term stewardship. We are also working closely with the leaders of the land trust as they develop restoration plans, hire staff and build the organizational infrastructure to drive this effort forward.

We welcome your involvement. For more information, please contact us: Lucy Blake – lblake@northernsierrapartnership.org.