Pit River Tribe
A partnership to return ancestral lands and conserve trout and migratory bird habitat on California’s renowned Fall River
In the heart of the Fall River valley, WRC is working with the Pit River Tribe to conserve the 270-acre Pope Jensen Ranch. The property contains nearly three miles of the Fall River, one of the largest spring-fed rivers in North America and one of the most important rivers in California. The stretch of the Fall that runs through the ranch supports native fish like rainbow trout and bigeye marbled sculpin. Half of the property is classified as a wetland and conserving it will allow the Pit River Tribe to begin critically needed restoration efforts, using Traditional Ecological Knowledge to bring back native plants and keep invasive species down. The Tribe already manages several thousand acres of conservation and agricultural lands in the area, making them ideal long-term stewards for the Pope Jensen Ranch. Conserving the ranch represents another outstanding opportunity for WRC and a Tribal Nation partner to work together to deliver not only a win for fish, wildlife and people, but a win for tribal resiliency by returning ancestral lands to their original stewards.
