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Two California tribes have entered into a co-stewardship agreement to manage and care for newly protected sacred land known as Molok Luyuk.
It’s part of President Joe Biden’s expansion of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in northern California.
Christina Aanestad reports.
The 13,000 acres new to the National Monument are known as Condor Ridge — or Molok Luyuk — sacred land to the Yocha Dehe and Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nations.
As part of a federal agreement, the tribes are now co-managers of the land.
Here’s Yocha Dehe Tribal Chairman Anthony Roberts.
“This land has deep meaning for our people and it has for centuries. For countless generations we have been stewards of this land, we’ve been taught by our ancestors, our elders to make sure we take care of this land and for years and generations the land will take care of us. And, as we see that coming to fruition today it’s beyond words. We’re just extremely grateful.”
Molok Luyuk is also home to many endangered or sensitive flora and fauna including the Indian Valley brodiaea herb, the small white flowers of the drymary dwarf flax, McNab Cypress, tule elk, foothill yellow-legged frogs, and spring fed wetlands this wildlife depends on.
The extended monument calls for a plan to allow motor and bicycle vehicle use that is in line with the care and management of the sensitive wildlife there.
According to scientists, toxin levels in blue mussels are rising due to warming oceans caused by climate change. (Photo: Sofia Stuart-Rasi / KUCB)
In Alaska, the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska is working to reintroduce blue mussels as a safe food source for the Aleutian island’s community.
As KUCB’s Sofia Stuart-Rasi reports, locals are transplanting mussels around the island to study whether this reduces the chances of the shellfish becoming toxic.
Traditionally, blue mussels have been a part of subsistence in Unalaska. But in recent years, reduced numbers and concerns about paralytic shellfish poisoning — or PSP — have limited how much locals can safely harvest.
The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska wants to change that.
The Tribe is partnering with Alaska consulting group Two Bears Environmental.
Together, they’re running a pilot study to see if moving blue mussels around the island affects the levels of paralytic shellfish toxins or PST.
According to the tribe, PST levels can differ greatly in neighboring locations. And it can be hard to detect – people cannot smell, taste, or see PST, and it cannot be cleaned or cooked out.
In mid-May, scientists collected mussels from the Dutch Harbor Spit and transplanted them to other parts of the island.
The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska partnered with Two Bears Environmental Consulting, an Alaska consulting group, to run a pilot study whether moving blue mussels around the island affects the levels of paralytic shellfish toxins (PST). (Photo: Sofia Stuart-Rasi / KUCB)
They plan to wait till September to collect the mussels again and test them for toxins.
The big questions are whether the mussels will survive and populate after being moved, and if they do, will they be safe to eat?
In 2020, a person died in Unalaska after eating mussels and snails with high levels of PST.
Scientists say climate change is playing a role in blue mussel quality, like higher toxin levels.
According to locals, there aren’t as many blue mussels on beaches as there used to be.
The Tribe says they hope transplanting the mussels will allow them to populate new areas.
Scientists say if the conditions are right, mussels can grow like weeds.
This pilot study is part of a larger program to restore or help subsistence foods in Unalaska.
The tribe wants to research other subsistence foods like aquatic snails and clams. But this summer, they say they hope this pilot project will be the first step to restoring blue mussels as a safe and sustainable food source like it was once before.
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