{"id":500926,"date":"2026-10-19T10:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T10:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/500926\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T10:44:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T10:44:14","slug":"why-this-northern-california-tribe-is-fighting-the-great-redwood-trail","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/500926\/","title":{"rendered":"Why this Northern California tribe is fighting the Great Redwood Trail"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The murky, magnificent Eel River was once a highway for the Wailaki people, who navigated by canoe and hauled goods between villages in cone-shaped baskets. But the tribe was forced out during the Gold Rush and, decades later, a railroad was built along the river in this verdant stretch of Humboldt County.<\/p>\n

Perry Lincoln, whose grandmother came from one of those villages, today sees another affront \u2014 the Great Redwood Trail<\/a>, a 307-mile path planned along the remnants of the long-gone railroad that cuts through his ancestral land.<\/p>\n

When they first learned of the project a few years ago, he says, some people, both Native and non-Native, thought: \u201cBut wait a minute, this is kind of wrong. You\u2019re just kind of shoving it down our throats.\u201d A line on the T-shirt Lincoln wore summed up his feelings: \u201cNo trail on my ancestors\u2019 bones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tribal members and allies formed a group, the Kinest\u2019e Community Coalition, to have a say in the project, protect sacred sites and ultimately reroute the trail. <\/p>\n

They maintain the state approved a path that will allow tourists to amble over graves without their consent. Fueling further outrage, it was exempted from the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires tribal consultation.<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"Perry <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

1. Perry Lincoln, a member of the Wailaki Tribe, is active in cultural education programs for tribal youth on the Round Valley and Hoopa reservations. He hopes to bring a group of students to this location along the Eel River in Fortuna in the fall, when hundreds of spawning salmon stage in the calm waters before completing their journeys upstream. Lincoln is concerned that the Great Redwood Trail will disturb historic tribal sites in the Eel River Canyon and advocates for an alternative route that would diverge from the railroad line. 2. A cafe sign stands over Garberville, Calif., which is flanked by the South Fork of the Eel River. <\/p>\n

The ambitious project has supporters, though, who see a historic opportunity to turn an old railroad into a regional asset \u2014 even if some of them question how it\u2019s being developed. <\/p>\n

Championed by state Sen. Mike McGuire, the trail would stretch from San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay, winding through the North Coast\u2019s remote, wild country. Advocates envision it as a bucket-list destination akin to the Pacific Crest Trail and an economic driver for struggling rural towns. <\/p>\n

Roughly 40% of the trail is complete or under construction, according to McGuire (D-Healdsburg).<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat this trail will do is open up some of the most spectacular landscapes on Earth,\u201d he said. \u201cFolks will be able to traverse past giant ancient redwoods to mighty rivers … through lush vineyards, golden rolling hills.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"Finley <\/p>\n

3 <\/p>\n

\"Joshua <\/p>\n

1. The Eureka Waterfront Trail skirts Humboldt Bay and passes through historic downtown Eureka. 2. Finley Kilgo pauses during a bike ride through the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary, at the northern end of the Humboldt Bay Trail. 3. Joshua Soracco, a Cal Poly Humboldt student, takes a break while riding his bike on the Humboldt Bay Trail, which connects Arcata and Eureka via a 6.5 mile multi-use trail set between the 101 Freeway and the bay. <\/p>\n

Some environmental groups agree tribes should have a greater say, yet support the project because it\u2019s pitched as a major cleanup effort.<\/p>\n

Alicia Hamann, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of the Eel River, is among the ambivalent. She\u2019s skeptical of bypassing the state environmental law, but sees the project as perhaps the best bet to address the railroad\u2019s legacy of pollution and restore fish habitat. <\/p>\n

Creosote-soaked rail ties leach toxic chemicals into the soil, sharp scraps of metal litter the riverbed, and pollution remains from the timber industry the rail line once served. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt just is basically infeasible to imagine that this scale of restoration could happen\u201d without the state handling it, Hamann said, citing its legal access and mandate to do the work.<\/p>\n

\"an <\/p>\n

The Dyerville Iron Bridge, an out-of-commission railroad bridge crossing the Eel River near the confluence of its South Fork and main stem, could become part of the Great Redwood Trail.<\/p>\n

Talk of creating an ambitious trail on this land dates back to the 1980s, when the Northwestern Pacific Railroad was struggling to stay afloat. Among other problems, the Eel River Canyon\u2019s unstable geology is notorious for landslides that sent train cars careening into the water. <\/p>\n

The state tried to prop up the railway, but in 1998, federal officials ordered it closed<\/a> over safety concerns. As hopes to revive it fizzled, enthusiasm to turn the corridor into a long-distance trail climbed. Then, in 2018, a law authored by McGuire paved the way.<\/p>\n

The Great Redwood Trail Agency was created three years later to shepherd the transition of the 231-mile northern stretch in Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt counties. The agency now controls the land along the rail corridor. <\/p>\n

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit oversees the southern portion of the project, which runs along a commuter rail line. <\/p>\n

Last year, more than 1 million people walked, hiked or biked the 71-mile southern segment, McGuire said. If completed, the route would be among the longest rail trails in the country. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a big advocate for rail trails,\u201d said Bruce Silvey, who sits on the board of the Humboldt Trails Council. \u201cThey\u2019re beautiful and they\u2019re fun and they\u2019re easy to ride. You can do 30 miles because they\u2019re basically flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"overgrown <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"People <\/p>\n

3 <\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

1. Overgrown and unused railroad tracks passing through Fort Seward. 2. People run on the Humboldt Bay Trail, which connects Arcata and Eureka via a 6.5 mile multi-use trail set between the 101 Freeway and the bay. 3. Old rail lines run through historic downtown Eureka. <\/p>\n

As the project shifts from dream to reality, some of its early supporters have been disappointed with the process. Steve Madrone, a Humboldt County supervisor, stepped down from the trail agency board in April, in part because he was upset with the exemption from CEQA \u2014 which he said the board wasn\u2019t consulted about. <\/p>\n

For years, he said, he\u2019d been promising tribes and landowners their concerns would be addressed as the law requires. Under the law, government agencies must identify and reduce harms of projects, and seek public input. <\/p>\n

But the state Legislature last year exempted certain trails funded by Proposition 4, including the Great Redwood Trail, from the law\u2019s requirements.<\/p>\n

Madrone thinks some officials pushed for the exemption because they feared that ranchers or tribes would delay the project through appeals or lawsuits. <\/p>\n

\u201cThink about the trauma that these tribes have experienced,\u201d he said. \u201cThat did not help remove that mistrust. It reinforced that mistrust.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A mural of a train on a shipping container sitting in front of a now-abandoned local landmark that was once home to a creamery welcomes all to Loleta.<\/p>\n

CEQA has been criticized for being used to bring protracted lawsuits that slow or kill development. McGuire pointed out the legislative exemption as part of broader reform of the law that exempted certain housing projects and other trails.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes too long in this state to build parks and amenities, and that includes trails,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cTribal consultation is written into the [trail\u2019s] master plan,\u201d McGuire said, and highlighted his record working with tribes throughout the North Coast. <\/p>\n

\u201cNative American community success is California\u2019s success, and we\u2019re going to be working closely together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Even for all of Madrone\u2019s misgivings, he supports the trail.<\/p>\n

In a region where timber and cannabis have declined, he sees it financially invigorating communities such as Ukiah, Willits and Cloverdale \u2014 bringing people in to dine, spend the night and even settle down permanently. Each year, the trail\u2019s northern portion is expected to generate roughly $100 million in economic activity, according to a trail agency analysis. <\/p>\n

Trails \u201cbring communities together,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re on a trail, there\u2019s no Democrats, no Republicans, no independents. It\u2019s just people.\u201d<\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

\"Dyerville <\/p>\n

2 <\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

3 <\/p>\n

\"historic <\/p>\n

1. Dyerville Loop Road begins along the Eel River in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, then rises into the foothills of Humboldt County, California before dropping back down to the river near Fort Seward. Some tribal members, like Perry Lincoln, argue that building the Great Redwood Trail along the railroad tracks that follow the banks of the Eel River Canyon puts cultural sites at risk, and advocate for an alternate route that would follow the ridgeline above the canyon that the Dyerville Loop Road traverses. 2. The Great Redwood Trail would follow the railroad tracks that parallel Loleta\u2019s small Main Street, passing between a public park and a string of local shops, a post office, and a church. Just past downtown, the tracks are overgrown, nearly disappearing from sight. 3. The Eureka Waterfront Trail skirts Humboldt Bay and passes through historic downtown Eureka. The trail could eventually become part of the Great Redwood Trail. <\/p>\n

Elaine Hogan, executive director of the Great Redwood Trail Agency, said it has reached out to tribes via letters, phone calls and emails. After that, \u201cit\u2019s really up to the tribes and tribal leaders … to engage with us at whatever feels right for them,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

The agency isn\u2019t seeking consultation as legally defined by CEQA, but \u201cmore comprehensive involvement of tribes in planning, construction and stewardship of their ancestral lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lincoln said if those efforts were made, they never reached any tribal members he knows. By the time the tribe even learned about the trail, he said, planning had been underway for years. <\/p>\n

The land the tribe inhabited before being evicted is now divided among ranchers, government agencies and a conservation nonprofit. More than a century later, he and his daughter Tisanche Warren say they\u2019ve never been allowed back to hold ceremonies. Only in recent years, through a tribal nonprofit, have they been able to work in certain areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re barely getting access to these areas ourselves, but we\u2019re going to allow outside communities to have full access to these places?\u201d Warren said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t seem fair.\u201d<\/p>\n

Madrone, the county supervisor, said some of the outreach to tribes was insensitive, with some people essentially telling members to get over the past. Many decided they would not engage, he said, adding that the Wailaki are not the sole tribe with concerns about the trail. <\/p>\n

Yet he says neither side is lying, something that is \u201cnot confusing if you understand the trauma that native peoples are still experiencing to this day.\u201d Tribes, he said, may not see the consultation as real until talk becomes action. <\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Humboldt Bay Trail connects Arcata and Eureka via a 6.5 mile multi-use trail set between the 101 freeway and the bay.<\/p>\n

Some tribes appear amenable to discussion. The Great Redwood Trail Agency has a contract with the Wiyot Tribe for cultural monitoring, and agreements with Blue Lake Rancheria and Hopland Band of Pomo Indians that establish government-to-government partnerships. The agency has $5 million for tribal cultural resource preservation, and plans to launch a tribal advisory committee. <\/p>\n

But that, said Alicia Bales, director of the Sierra Club\u2019s Redwood Chapter, is \u201cnot a seat at the table, it\u2019s a seat outside. … They\u2019re giving advice to the real decision makers, who do have the seat at the table, about their own homeland. So it\u2019s very problematic.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The murky, magnificent Eel River was once a highway for the Wailaki people, who navigated by canoe and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":500927,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4742,83129,7,9,8,10727,194076,3154,721,88910,592,1506,225,194077,8534,194078,181714,1500],"class_list":["post-500926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-agency","tag-ancestral-land","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-few-year","tag-great-redwood-trail","tag-humboldt-county","tag-law","tag-mcguire","tag-people","tag-project","tag-state","tag-steve-madrone","tag-trail","tag-tribal-consultation","tag-tribal-member","tag-tribe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/500927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}