SACRAMENTO, Calif., July 7 (Santa Rosa News Online) — California has transferred 136 acres of Blues Beach and nearby Mendocino County bluffs to Kai Poma, the nonprofit formed by the Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Round Valley Indian Tribes and Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, according to state documents and the Los Angeles Times.
The parcel sits just south of Westport on the Mendocino Coast. The Los Angeles Times reported that the approval from the California Transportation Commission on June 26 cleared the final regulatory step, and that Caltrans staff will next record the deed.
The transfer was made possible by SB 231, a bill sponsored by state Sen. Mike McGuire and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, the California Senate said. The Senate release said the law gives Caltrans authority to transfer the property to the tribal nonprofit and requires the land to remain open to public access, bars commercial activity and limits use to habitat protection and Native American cultural resources.
A March 31, 2025, letter from McGuire to the California Coastal Commission said the transfer is authorized at no cost under SB 231. McGuire said in a Senate release that returning the land was “the right thing to do” and would improve stewardship and protect sacred sites.
McGuire told the Los Angeles Times the transfer gives the tribes “the rightful opportunity to reclaim sacred lands and cultural traditions on this special piece of earth. And it’s about damn time.”
The California Senate said McGuire began working with the tribes and local community members on the acquisition in 2019.
