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Aerial view of the west side of Loyalton Ranch. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Carmel.
WCB Approves $87.1 Million for Habitat, Salmon Recovery and Tribal Land Return Projects
Funding Includes Support for Historic Return of More Than 10,000 Acres at Loyalton Ranch to the Washoe People
The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) approved $87,125,538 in grants for 16 projects across 14 counties to protect critical wildlife habitat, restore rivers and streams, and conserve culturally and ecologically significant lands. Among these, seven projects advance the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, restoring fish passage, reconnecting rivers to floodplains, and improving spawning and rearing habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead.
The board met at MiraCosta College’s San Elijo Campus in Cardiff, San Diego County, marking its first meeting outside Sacramento.
The WCB’s grants advance Gov. Gavin Newsom’s goal of conserving 30 percent of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, a globally adopted target known as 30x30. The initiative seeks to protect biodiversity, expand access to nature for all Californians and adapt to climate change.
Loyalton Ranch Acquisition Returns Ancestral Lands to Washoe People
The board approved a $5.5 million grant to the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust to support the purchase of 10,274 acres at Loyalton Ranch, a historic return of ancestral lands to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California (Tribe) in the northern Sierra Nevada. The property, which is located northeast of Lake Tahoe and approximately 20 miles north of Reno, features sagebrush lowlands, conifer forests, mountain meadows, springs, and perennial creeks, providing habitat for pronghorn, mule deer, mountain lion, as well as culturally important plants such as pinyon pine.
“The reclamation of these Washoe homelands is of great importance,” said Tribal Chairman Serrell Smokey. “Wá·šiw people were once forcefully removed from these lands. Now the land is calling the Washoe people home and we are answering that call. We are deeply grateful to WCB for providing essential funding for this historic land purchase by the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust.”
“This project reflects what’s possible when state, tribal, and conservation partners work together to protect land that holds deep cultural and ecological importance,” said Jennifer Norris, executive director of WCB. “We are honored to support the Wášiw-šiw Land Trust in reclaiming this landscape and carrying forward the cultural knowledge and land management practices that have shaped it for thousands of years.”
The Loyalton Ranch acquisition, a culmination of a four-year collaboration between the Tribe, the Northern Sierra Partnership and the Feather River Land Trust, is part of the Tribe’s plan to reclaim and steward lands across the northern Washoe homelands, with the purchase expected to close in early 2026.
Featured Conservation Projects to Support Salmon and Steelhead Recovery in Central Valley
- A $15-million grant to River Partners to acquire 1,715 acres of land and water rights along Battle Creek in Tehama County will provide instream flows to protect spawning and rearing habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead.
“The acquisition of the historic Battle Creek Ranch represents a transformative step in restoring the health of Battle Creek and reconnecting habitats essential for building back populations of endangered salmon, steelhead, and other wildlife,” said Julie Rentner, president of River Partners.
WCB also approved a $584,999 grant to retire water rights on the property, boosting stream flows and improving habitat for aquatic species.
- A $15-million grant to Meridian Farms Water Company for the Meridian Farms Fish Screen Project in Sutter County will replace two unscreened water diversions on the Sacramento River with a single modern, screened diversion. The project removes one of the river’s last high-priority unscreened diversions, improving passage and survival for all four runs of Chinook salmon and supporting long-term drought resilience and water-management flexibility.
“This project helps to enhance passage and protect all four runs of Chinook salmon and will also enhance drought resilience for the region,” said Andy Duffey, general manager of Meridian Farms Water Company. “This brings to a close a more than two-decade effort by Meridian Farms to provide these protections to fish in the Sacramento River.”
- A $31.9-million grant to the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency for the Robinson’s Riffle Restoration Project in Butte County will restore 1 mile of the Feather River and reconnect it to 51 acres of floodplain, improving salmon and steelhead habitat.
“We are excited to partner with WCB to implement the project and realize the benefits to the Feather River and the fish it supports,” said Michelle Forsha, fisheries restoration and reintroduction supervisor for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). “We hope this project is the start of a long partnership toward bringing about restoration in the Central Valley.”
“Recovering salmon runs in the Central Valley will take bold, coordinated investment,” said Charlton H. Bonham, chair of WCB and director of CDFW. “WCB continues to deliver on-the-ground results, putting resources directly into the places that matter most for salmon recovery.”
Jennifer Norris, executive director of WCB, added: “These projects represent how California agencies are working together to restore functional river systems and resilient habitats that support both fish and people.”
About the Wildlife Conservation Board
Established in 1947, the Wildlife Conservation Board protects, restores and enhances California’s spectacular natural resources for wildlife and the public’s use and enjoyment. WCB works in partnership with Tribes, conservation groups, government agencies and the people of California to safeguard biodiversity and expand access to nature.
For more information about WCB, visit wcb.ca.gov. To explore the newly funded projects, visit WCB’s StoryMaps pages.
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