Thanks to a commission backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state is transferring 136 acres of premium state-owned coastline to…indigenous peoples.
A beloved stretch of California’s rugged coastline is headed back to Indigenous stewardship after a Gavin Newsom-backed state 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.
The arrangement reportedly bars commercial activity on the property and requires continued public access.
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