… [T]he California Indian Freedom Act of 2026 seeks to ensure that tribes can visit their historically sacred sites and freely worship. To that end, it would require government agencies to get tribal consent before pursuing activities that might disrupt Indigenous practices on land that is now owned by the state. … A broad coalition of businesses, water agencies and local governments, led by the California Chamber of Commerce, says that while the bill’s intentions are good, they’re lining up against the proposal because of its methods. … Whether the bill applies to water projects, including such high-profile proposals as Sites Reservoir in the Sacramento Valley and the 45-mile conveyance tunnel in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, is unclear. … Additionally, with water bodies defined as potentially sacred sites under the bill, there are concerns that the new authority for tribes over state land would extend to California’s navigable waterways.

Other California environment and water law news:

• Los Angeles Times: The countdown is on: Energy and environment battles to watch before Sacramento closes out its session​
• CalMatters (Sacramento, Calif.): Opinion: California’s political battle over key environmental law brews on two fronts