Tule Elk Restoration Among Conservation Plans For Return Of Tule River Native American Land

Earlier this week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that Here’s more from the Los Angeles Times on the historic land acquisition, including the return of Tule elk.

The Tule River acquisition restores some of the tribe’s sacred homeland, and will enable a host of conservation projects, including protecting the Deer Creek watershed, protecting habitat for California condors and reintroducing tule elk. The tribe last year worked with state officials to reintroduce beavers to the south fork of the Tule River.

“This land return demonstrates the very essence of tribal land restoration, which expands access to essential food and medicinal resources,” said Lester R. Nieto Jr. “Shine”, Chairman, Tule River Tribal Council, in a statement. Nieto added that the tribe “envisions this land located in the Yowlumne Hills as a place to gather, heal, and simply be” and that it is part of the tribe’s “long history of asserting and affirming its sovereignty.”