- Details
- By Chez Oxendine
- Real Estate
The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel purchased 1,107 acres of ancestral land in San Felipe Valley using funds from California's Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program.
The $100 million program represents the first state initiative to directly fund ancestral land return. California allocated funds to 27 tribal land projects as part of its 30x30 conservation initiative.
The acquisition includes 23 parcels on the eastern slope of the Volcan Mountains adjacent to the tribe's existing reservation. The property contains desert, woodland, grassland and scrub habitats supporting endangered species including the golden eagle and arroyo toad, according to a news release.
The tribe will establish the Ewiinally Traditional Ecological Knowledge Center on the site as a public education facility. A conservation management plan will provide neighboring communities limited access to the land.
"The return of these 1,107 acres of Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel ancestral land is more than a restoration of territory, it is a restoration of identity, responsibility, and healing," Kevin Osuna, chairman of the tribe, said in a statement.
The acquisition advances California's goal to conserve 30% of state lands and coastal waters by 2030 while supporting tribal sovereignty and Indigenous-led conservation efforts.
