GARDNERVILLE

The Waší·šiw Land Trust completed the purchase of a 10,274-acre property in the Washoe tribal homelands northeast of Lake Tahoe and roughly 20 miles north of Reno. Formerly called the Loyalton Ranch, the new WélmeltiɁ Preserve encompasses a vast and ecologically significant landscape recognized for its exceptional wildlife habitat. The purchase was made possible by a $5.5 million grant from California Wildlife Conservation Board and private donations. 

The acquisition represents the largest tribal land return ever completed in the Sierra Nevada and the third largest in California. The land was purchased specifically for long-term conservation.

The WélmeltiɁ Preserve is bordered primarily by public lands managed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. It spans the mountain range from Long Valley in the east to Sierra Valley in the west and includes a rich mosaic of wildlife habitat.

The Washoe Tribe’s vision for the preserve involves conservation, restoration, reinstating traditional cultural practices, managing habitat, and providing educational opportunities, with a focus on connecting youth back to the land and their native language.

The tribal council of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California has a vision to repatriate land to Washoe ownership and care across the tribe’s extensive Sierra Nevada homelands.

~ Waší·šiw Land Trust press release