KLAMATH, Calif. — While federal officials consider granting protected status to Chinook salmon along the Klamath river, the Yurok Tribe of the Klamath River delta in California have succeeded in their bid to obtain 9,000 acres around the Blue Creek watershed. The Tribe hopes to aid in salmon conservation efforts there.

According to the a statement from the tribe, this land was taken from their people in the mid-nineteenth century, and heavily logged over the last 100 years. The Blue Creek watershed, an important habitat for Chinook salmon, was neglected during that time.

The Yurok Tribe purchased the Blue Creek land with the help of the Western Rivers Conservancy. The Conservancy seeks out river habitats across the country, and attempts to purchase them from private owners in the name of parties dedicated to conservation.

Residing along the Klamath River from its meeting with the Trinity River to the California Coast, the Yurok Tribe is currently the largest Native American tribe in California.