2023 Schedule – Pacific Time

Landowners and land trusts in Oregon and Washington are working with Tribes to expand Indigenous access and ownership of their ancestral lands, and to protect cultural values and resources. This workshop will explore legal tools developed and used by land trusts, landowners and Tribes to provide Tribal access to important lands, facilitate the return of land to Tribal ownership and protect cultural values in conservation easements (held by both Tribes and land trusts if appropriate). Using real world examples, we will review land trust organizational documents such as articles and bylaws to ensure they include protection of cultural values. We will discuss potential approaches to drafting conservation easements that protect and provide Tribal access to cultural resources. We will share examples of land transfers and ongoing co-management frameworks and address unique questions that can arise regarding Tribal ownership of land.