A beloved stretch of California’s rugged coastline is headed back to Indigenous stewardship after a Gavin Newsom-backedstate commission approved the transfer of a popular Mendocino County beach to three Indigenous tribes.
The 136-acre property, encompassing Blues Beach and the dramatic coastal bluffs just south of the community of Westport, will be transferred to Kai Poma, a nonprofit representing the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
The California Transportation Commission gave the deal its final regulatory approval on June 26, making it the first time land managed by the California Department of Transportation has been returned to Indigenous tribes.
The state originally acquired the windswept shoreline and rocky cliffs in the 1960s to support the expansion of Highway 1 and establish a scenic overlook for motorists, according to a California Coastal Commission report.
In recent years, however, the site has seen largely unregulated public use. The report says holiday weekends and summer crowds frequently camped and partied at the beach, with some driving through environmentally sensitive areas, damaging cultural resources and leaving trash behind.
Kai Poma plans to begin cultural and archaeological studies along with environmental surveys before developing a long-term resource management plan for the property, according to planning documents.
The nonprofit has also worked with the California Coastal Commission on a public access management plan that keeps the property open to visitors from sunrise to sunset.
The transfer required years of work and a change in California law. Until 2021, Caltrans did not have the legal authority to convey state-owned land to tribal governments.
That changed after Newsom signed legislation sponsored by state Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), allowing such transfers. The law also prohibits commercial development on the property while guaranteeing continued public access.
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