billyrene pinola, member of


the kashia tribe


P


partnering with local agencies, The Trust for Public Land devised a plan that would return the land to the Kashia while allowing for an addition to the California Coastal Trail (CCT)— a network of public footpaths hoped to one day span the 1,200 miles from Oregon to Mexico.


Then came the details: hashing out the terms of a conserva- tion easement to permanently protect the land from develop- ment and to ensure sustainable stewardship. “We and the tribe agreed the goal was to try to rehabilitate the forest,” says Moriarty.


Under the terms of the easement, the Kashia must follow a restorative forestry plan. “It’s a different kind of timber management,” Moriarty explains. “In other timber harvest plans, the goal is to cut the largest redwoods. But in this rehab approach, you go in and thin trees to allow remaining trees to grow bigger, with the goal of improving forest health.” “People often call what we’re planning a ‘demonstration forest,’ but we consider it returning the forest to its natural


state,” says Nina Hapner, who directs environmental planning for the Kashia. “It’s traditional management by native people.” As Hapner explains, the tribe will harvest plants for traditional uses: yerba buena and Labrador for tea; equise- tum, madrone tree bark, and angelica root for medicine and ceremonies. In accordance with the easement, tribal members will also harvest young trees, using proceeds to pay off the loan secured to help acquire the land. As the smaller trees and undergrowth are cleared, lowering the risk of wildfire, the for- est will regain much of its pre-colonial character. “In 50 years, we’ll have healthy old-growth forest,” says Hapner.


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