Living Law,
Living LandSupport land rights

Organization

California Natural Resources Agency (Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program)

California's Natural Resources Agency funds tribal land returns through its Tribal Nature-Based Solutions grant program, including a 2026 Mechoopda purchase.

Kind
State of California agency (funder)
Native-led
state-agency
Works with
California tribes
Region
California
Focus
Funds tribal land acquisitions; CNRA says the program has returned 40,574.94 acres statewide with $100M+ invested
Registry
Government agency

What happened

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is a state government agency, not a charity or a Native organization. It appears here as a funder of tribal land return through the Tribal Nature-Based Solutions program.

The state's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force page says that in May 2024 the agency, with CAL FIRE and the Ocean Protection Council, awarded $107.7 million to fund 33 projects. It says the awards support the return of approximately 38,950 acres to California Native American tribes through the grant program. The page says the money also funds habitat restoration, wildfire resilience and cultural fire. Other coverage gives slightly different project counts, so treat the number of projects as approximate.

One result is in Butte County. Hoodline, citing local station Action News Now, reports that the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of Chico Rancheria acquired about 450 acres in the Big Chico Creek watershed in 2026, with state programs supporting the closings. A real estate firm that worked on the deal says a program grant funds the tribe's cultural and environmental restoration crew.

The Mechoopda detail comes from news reports.

Good to know. A state agency, not a place to donate. Reports differ on the program's details: other outlets give 32 to 34 projects or tribes, and April or May 2024 for the awards.

Summarized with AI assistance from 3 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Thinly sourced: read the sources and cautions before relying on this.

  1. awarded $107.7 million to fund 33 projects and support the return of approximately 38,950 acres of land to California Native American tribesCalifornia Wildfire & Forest Resilience - Nearly 39,000 Acres of Land Returned to California Tribes
  2. The purchase was helped along by California's Tribal Nature-Based Solutions programHoodline - Chico Tribe Reclaims 450 Acres in Big Chico Creek Comeback
  3. A grant from the California Natural Resources Agency's Tribal Nature-Based Solutions Program funds the tribe's specialized cultural and environmental crew.Capital Rivers Commercial - Mechoopda Tribe Land Return

Research notes. CNRA's own pages (resources.ca.gov) blocked automated access, so no quote comes from the agency itself. The program totals come from the state Wildfire Task Force page; other outlets report 32 to 34 projects or tribes and the date as April or May 2024. Hoodline and the broker (Capital Rivers) are secondary sources. Not a donation channel.

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Connections

Links marked “suggested” were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.

Works with 2

Supports the return of 2

Works in 1

Sources

  1. resources.ca.gov/self-description
The record’s fields
Vetting notes
Not a donation channel. Figure from CNRA Mechoopda release (undated page). Related: Wildlife Conservation Board and State Coastal Conservancy funding for Yurok Blue Creek.
Kind
Organization
Confidence
High

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