Hupa Mountain

Trust for Public Land has long partnered with tribal nations and Indigenous communities to recover, restore, and protect their ancestral homelands. Connection with these places is essential to their culture, sovereignty, and history. But far too often, their roadmap to regain land isn’t straightforward, especially when they’re frequently excluded from public funding programs. It is here where Trust for Public Land has been able to lend our expertise to make a difference.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe worked with Trust for Public Land and The Conservation Fund to help reacquire 10,395 acres at Hupa Mountain. When the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation was created in 1864, the Hupa people lost access to more than two-thirds of their ancestral lands. This landbank initiative is the Tribe’s largest reacquisition since their reservation was established.

Now under their stewardship, the Hoopa Valley Tribe is working to restore the land that has sustained their people for generations. This includes rebuilding the elk population—a traditional food source—restoring the spawning stream for sacred salmon at Pine Creek, and fighting sudden oak death, which affects acorn crops and causes dangerous fire conditions that threaten homes and drinking water. This land is also the location of a successful carbon sequestration project, which will be maintained by the Tribe to sequester thousands of tons of carbon each year.

“Trust for Public Land is deeply honored to have played a pivotal role in jumpstarting the remarkable conservation success achieved by the Hoopa Valley Tribe,” said Dr. Ken Lucero, Tribal and Indigenous Lands Director for Trust for Public Land. “This collaboration exemplifies the positive outcomes that can result from shared dedication to environmental conservation and cultural heritage.”