The Yurok Tribe, California’s largest federally recognized tribal nation, was given 73 square miles of land — or 47,097 acres — along the eastern side of the lower Klamath River on Thursday. The land exchange is being called the largest single “land back” deal in California history. … The 73 square miles of land is now owned and managed by the Yurok Tribe as the Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest. … These lands — comprising forests, river corridors, and prairies — support essential habitat for many imperiled species, including coho and Chinook salmon, marbled murrelets, northern spotted owls, and Humboldt martens. In the face of climate change, Blue Creek remains a crucial cold-water refuge for salmon, steelhead, and other native fish.

Related articles:

• Lost Coast Outpost (Eureka, Calif.): Largest-ever land back deal in California returns 73 square miles on Lower Klamath to Yurok Tribe
• Times-Standard (Eureka, Calif.): ‘This project is enormous’: Yurok land back project largest in California history
• KDRV (Medford, Ore.): Yurok Tribe more than doubles land holdings with new conservation deal
• Truthout: Blog: Yurok Tribe celebrates the largest landback deal in California’s history