Previously:

• Supervisor Howard Takes Issue With California Bill That Would Allow Wildlife Conservation Board to Lease, Sell Public Lands

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The Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation, one of four federally recognized tribes in Del Norte County, announced their support for proposed state legislation that would include Native Americans in the process of acquiring public lands.

From a Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation news release Friday:

Smith River, CA – The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation (“Nation”) is aware of and extremely disappointed by the half-truths and misstatements by the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors at their meeting held on Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

The sole purpose of the proposed language in AB-379 aims to extend equal opportunity to Federally-recognized Tribes and California Recognized Tribes to enjoy the same opportunities for land conservation that are currently afforded to non-profits, local, federal and state agencies. The return of land and control to Native Nations like the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is a positive step forward to preserve and restore the natural and cultural resources which have been severely impacted over generations of miss-management. Restoration efforts are vital for future generations, and the natural beauty of the County that our collective economy relies upon for vital tourism dollars. The Nation and its ancestors are the original inhabitants of Del Norte County, and have been here, caring for the land, animals, and plants, since time immemorial.

Proposed amendments to AB-379 discussed by the Board of Supervisors, would seek to add additional restrictions only to the Native American Tribes which would be the recipients of our ancestral state-owned lands potentially transferred to them under this legislation, while not requiring the same use restrictions on non-profits, local government, state and other federal agencies.

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, as well as other Tribal Nations, enjoy a government-to-government relationship with the State of California and the United States. Mandated consultation with political sub-entities of the State is not an appropriate ask to be included in amendments to AB- 379 and are categorically rejected by the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.

The Board’s comments regarding California’s payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (“PILT”) were extremely misleading. According to the Rural County Representatives of California, an association that Del Norte County is a member of, PILT only directs $644,000 in total to all 58 counties in California. The amount of money that Del Norte County would lose, if any, is minute in nature. It is unwarranted for the Board of Supervisors to spin such a partial truth in a way that makes it seem that the passage of this needed and commonsense legislation would lead to any sort of financial difficulty for the County. AB-379 only extends the same opportunity to Native Nations already afforded to the County of Del Norte. As the County in the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation’s backyard, we believe this is a commonsense change that the Board of Supervisors should support.

Despite what the Board of Supervisors might think, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation is a good neighbor to all people that call Del Norte County home. This is borne out in the many financial contributions that the Nation has made over the years, from sponsoring the 4th of July fireworks and parade, to providing funds for local schools, community-based programs and various youth organizations, as well as employing over 250 community members, the majority of whom are not citizens of the Nation. The Nation strives every day to make Del Norte County a great place to live and work.

The Nation was not invited to or asked to attend the July 27th meeting. Had we been invited and added as an agendized discussion item, we could have been in attendance to answer any questions or concerns regarding this legislation the Board of Supervisors might hold. Our leadership and staff are regularly in contact with the County and its staff regarding issues of common concern, including most recently lobbying efforts that will result in over $500,000 in improvements to County-owned properties for the public benefit of citizen of Del Norte County. The Nation also works in collaboration with the County of Del Norte to engage in wildfire fuels reduction for the protection of Del Norte County citizens. All this in addition to the millions of dollars spent to improve public safety on Highway 101 which runs through our County.

The Board of Supervisors should support AB-379, as drafted, and not engage in any misguided attempts to try to derail good, commonsense, legislation.

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