New Forests returns ancestral land to Hoopa Valley Tribe

About

Nestled within the Humboldt County in Northern California, the “Hupa Mountain” sprawls over 10,000 acres of forestlands. Since 2018, this land has been an integral part of New Forests’ portfolio in the United States, dedicated to the sustainable management of forestry and ongoing conservation efforts.

The land borders the western boundary of the Hupa tribe’s reservation – a native American tribe of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group in Northern California. When the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation was created in 1864, the Hupa people lost access to more than two-thirds of their ancestral lands, including this area.

The land area includes headwaters of Pine Creek, which flows into the Klamath River and is a spawning stream for sacred salmon. The land also provides gathering sites for food and basketry materials, along with a variety of wildlife and plant species that are of significant importance in the Hoopa Tribe’s culture.

Key Initiative

In 2022, New Forests initiated the process of selling the land on behalf of its investor.  The Hoopa Valley Tribal leaders worked closely with The Conservation Fund, a US nonprofit organization with a dual charter to pursue environmental preservation and economic development, to secure the necessary public land and private funding to finalize the purchase.

New Forests led negotiations with the Tribe and worked closely with Tribal leaders to structure the transaction so that funding could be secured prior to settlement, freeing the Tribe from any post-closing financial liabilities.

In late 2023, New Forests settled the sale to the Hoopa Valley Tribe that represented the permanent return of this important and historic 10,300 acres of unceded ancestral lands.

Impact

The return of the territory via this settlement constitutes the Tribe’s largest reacquisition of land since the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation was established in 1864. As a result, the tribes’ ancestral land holdings have increased by more than 10%.  The Hoopa Valley Tribe plans to enhance and restore habitat for species of concern on the property, including listed salmonids, Northern Spotted Owl, Pacific Fisher and Roosevelt Elk.

In addition, New Forests, during its ownership developed a carbon project through the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that incentivizes the forest managers to successfully allow the forest to sequester carbon dioxide, while providing related co-benefits.

Jeff Briggs, Managing Director, North America, New Forests, said:

“This landmark settlement is synonymous with our approach of seeking to deliver lasting impact for local communities, support carbon sequestration and deliver for our investors.”