{"id":421093,"date":"2026-08-01T20:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T20:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/421093\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T20:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T20:22:10","slug":"california-approves-25m-loan-for-quartz-valley-landback-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/421093\/","title":{"rendered":"California approves $25M loan for Quartz Valley landback deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Following a resolution by the California State Water Resources Board, the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation is poised to acquire nearly 40,000 acres of ancestral land in the Klamath River Basin. State officials said the transaction would be the second-largest tribal land-back deal in California history and the largest completed in a single transaction in the United States.<\/p>\n

According to a State Water Resources Control Board news release<\/a>, the action provides the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation with the means to acquire nearly 40,000 acres of ancestral territory in the Klamath River Basin and restore salmon habitat and water quality across the Scott River watershed. The tribe\u2019s existing landbase is 200 acres.<\/p>\n

The board said it will provide a zero\u2011interest $25 million loan through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund<\/a> to support the purchase and help Quartz Valley establish a salmon sanctuary, protect water quality and restore cultural practices. The territory borders the reservation and includes the headwaters of tributaries to the Scott River in Siskiyou County. The board said the zero-interest loan will save the tribe at least $11 million over the 30-year repayment period compared with its standard financing terms.<\/p>\n

In a statement, Quartz Valley Chairman Leonard Lincoln said the return marks a major milestone for the reservation and the watershed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe return of the Scott River Headwaters Project lands to the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation marks a truly historic moment for our people, our neighbors and the entire Scott River watershed,\u201d Lincoln said. \u201cThere is immense work ahead to heal these lands and we are excited, determined and ready to begin.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to a story<\/a> by the San Francisco Chronicle, the purchase will be facilitated by the Trust for Public Land, which will purchase the land from Portland-based management firm EFM. The trust plans to deed the land to the tribe once the purchase is complete. While the board loan totals $25 million, a final price for the land purchase has not yet been determined, the Chronicle reported.<\/p>\n

California Secretary for Environmental Protection Yana Garcia said the Board\u2019s action strengthens state\u2011tribal partnerships focused on watershed recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cI welcome the State Water Board\u2019s support for this land back deal with the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cCalifornia continues to work closely with tribal nations to protect the air, land and water we rely on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The board said it expects the loan to be repaid through revenues from existing carbon sequestration projects on the acquired land.<\/p>\n

About The Author<\/p>\n

\"Chez<\/p>\n

Staff Writer<\/p>\n

Chez Oxendine (Lumbee-Cheraw) is a staff writer for Tribal Business News. Based in Oklahoma, he focuses on broadband, Indigenous entrepreneurs, and federal policy. His journalism has been featured in Native News Online, Fort Gibson Times, Muskogee Phoenix, Baconian Magazine, and Oklahoma Magazine, among others. <\/p>\n

Other Articles by this author<\/p>\n


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