Tribal Nation Partners

Conservation and Land Back: Working with Tribal Nations to save the great rivers of the West.

THE ESSELEN TRIBE OF MONTEREY COUNTY’S FIRST CEREMONY IN 250 YEARS ON RECLAIMED ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS. WRC IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRIBE TO CONSERVE A 1,199-ACRE RANCH ALONG THE LITTLE SUR RIVER.
THE ESSELEN TRIBE OF MONTEREY COUNTY’S FIRST CEREMONY IN 250 YEARS ON RECLAIMED ANCESTRAL HOMELANDS. WRC IS WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TRIBE TO CONSERVE A 1,199-ACRE RANCH ALONG THE LITTLE SUR RIVER.
Photography | MATTHEW PENDERGAST

In pursuit of our mission to save the great rivers of the West, Western Rivers Conservancy has taken the lead in marrying conservation and land back. We are honored to partner with Tribal Nations throughout the West when we share a conservation vision to permanently protect critically important riverlands. Our goal is to ensure the long-term health of rivers, and of the fish and wildlife that depend on them, and Tribal Nations make natural partners in this endeavor. As the original stewards of the riverlands that WRC is working to protect, our tribal partners share our conservation vision and have the resources, foresight, expertise and commitment to restore and conserve these vital places.


WRC and its tribal partners have conserved some of the West’s best habitat for fish and wildlife. Together, we have protected and revived salmon-bearing tributaries to the Snake, Salmon, Klamath, Willamette and Okanogan rivers; preserved key stretches of rare steelhead streams like the Little Sur River in California; and, on Blue Creek and the Klamath River, completed one of the country’s most important land conservation efforts in history. At the same time, Tribal Nations like the Yurok, Grand Ronde, Umatilla and Esselen have regained lands with immense cultural, ceremonial, community and historic value. These are results that benefit fish, wildlife and people alike—real outcomes for rivers that will last forever.


Our Partners

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation

McLoughlin Falls Ranch and Antoine Valley Ranch, Okanogan River, Washington
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Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Chahalpam and Chankawan, North Santiam River, Oregon
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Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Catherine Creek, Birch Creek and the Umatilla River, Oregon
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Esselen Tribe of Monterey County

Little Sur River, Big Sur Coast, California
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Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria

Estero de San Antonio, California
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Tübatulabal Tribe

South Fork Kern River, California
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Yurok Tribe

Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest, Klamath River, California
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