Historic Acquisition by California’s First Black-led Land Conservation Organization

Wildlife Conservation Board Awards $163.5 million in Grants to 37 Habitat Conservation and Restoration Projects

The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) provided a $2.27 million grant to the 40 Acre Conservation League, California’s only Black-led conservation group, for the Tahoe Forest Gateway Leidesdorff Property in Placer County, a cooperative project with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The conservation group acquired approximately 650 acres of land near the Tahoe Lake area for the purposes of wildlife-oriented education and research, wildlife habitat preservation, restoration and management.

The WCB approved approximately $163.5 million in grants to 37 projects at its Aug. 24, 2023, quarterly meeting that will help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. The grants will also provide new and improved public access, recreation and educational opportunities.

“I am so thrilled that I was able to help secure $3 million for 40 Acre Conservation League’s first land acquisition,” said Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson). “This remarkable achievement is a gateway for more people of color to enter the conservancy space, and it demonstrates that when like-minded organizations unite for a common cause, they can achieve remarkable results. The $3 million secured for the 40 Acre Conservation League is not just a financial milestone; it is an investment in the future of our environment and a testament to the potential of dedicated conservationists working together.”

Other funded projects include:

• A $779,000 grant to the Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy for a project to restore a sage scrub ecosystem in Altadena, Los Angeles County, that will serve as a valuable agricultural learning process for Tongva Community Members to revitalize culture, language and traditional land stewardship. This site will represent the first community-owned gathering space for the Tongva community since the Spanish Mission system in 1771.

“This funding from WCB gives us, a Tongva-led land conservancy, an opportunity to start fresh,” said Tongva Taraxat Paxaavxa Conservancy, Land Return Coordinator Samantha Morales Johnson. “At Huhuunga, the first site since colonization returned to Tongvetam, over 90 percent of the plants present are non-native species. This first project with WCB allows us to remove invasive trees and pay Tongva people to remove the understory taking over our oak grove. This is a vital part of our community healing with the land, and we hope to continue to […]

Full article: wildlife.ca.gov