Grant in the Spotlight: Western Rivers Conservancy
Image Courtesy of Dave Jensen
The Wyss Foundation is excited to spotlight a $5,000,000 grant to Western Rivers Conservancy. Western Rivers Conservancy purchases land along the West's rivers and streams to conserve habitat for fish and wildlife, protects key sources of cold water, and provides public access for all to enjoy.
This grant supports efforts to promote river conservation and Tribal sovereignty in tandem. In May 2025, following a twenty-three-year partnership, Western Rivers Conservancy and the Yurok Tribe completed the largest single "land back" deal in California history. More than seventy-three square miles of land—an area three times the size of Manhattan—along Blue Creek and the eastern side of the lower Klamath River will now be permanently managed by the Yurok Tribe for fish, wildlife, and forest health within the newly created Blue Creek Salmon Sanctuary and Yurok Tribal Community Forest.
"This project exemplifies the power of partnership, showcasing how conservation efforts and the land back movement can come together to benefit the rivers, fish, wildlife, and people of an entire landscape," said Western Rivers Conservancy President Nelson Mathews. "After more than twenty years of close collaboration with the Yurok Tribe, we have together achieved this magnificent conservation success while ensuring these lands and waters are in the hands of those most deeply committed to their future health and sustainable use. Blue Creek and its watershed are critical to the health of the entire Klamath fishery. The Yurok Tribe has the resources and the deep cultural connections that sustained this land for millennia, and now they can continue to do so."
"The Wyss Foundation is proud to partner with Western Rivers Conservancy in this profound achievement for Tribal sovereignty and the health of our lands and rivers," said Molly McUsic, Wyss Foundation President. "After decades of diligent effort, this remarkable project has come to fruition—returning Blue Creek to the Yurok Tribe, which has and will continue to steward the land's riches."
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About the Wyss Foundation — The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.
About Western Rivers Conservancy — Western Rivers Conservancy's motto is "Sometimes, to save a river, you have to buy it." The organization has created sanctuaries for fish and wildlife and secured recreational access along more than 250 rivers and streams around the West. It has protected 450 river miles and more than 225,000 acres of land in nine western states. To ensure the lands it acquires are protected in perpetuity, Western Rivers Conservancy transfers them to long-term stewards, including federal, state, and regional agencies, as well as Tribal Nations. Its approach to river conservation is effective, tangible, and permanent.