The yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region (ytt) and The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County (“The Land Conservancy”) are partnering to conserve the Diablo Canyon Lands between Montaña de Oro State Park and Avila Beach. This stretch of the Pecho Coast is currently owned by Pacific Gas & Electric and Eureka Energy.
The Land Conservancy and ytt will work together with other community members, organizations, and stakeholders to permanently protect this remarkable part of coastal San Luis Obispo County.
The Diablo Canyon Lands have been part of a community-wide discussion since PG&E announced the planned closure of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The lands we are partnering to protect include areas north and south of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant facilities (the “North Ranch” and “South Ranch”) and Wild Cherry Canyon. Community comments and input during the decommissioning process have been overwhelmingly in favor of conserving these lands.
The Diablo Canyon Lands host incredible natural and cultural resources. Untouched tide pools dot the coastline. Dense oak woodlands rise into the Irish Hills above the ocean. These open spaces provide high-quality wildlife habitat.
This coastline is part of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe’s homeland. The coastal bluffs, oak woodlands, and hilltops of the Diablo Coast represent generations upon generations of history and tradition.
“Our Tribal goal is the return of our homelands so that we may once again become the careful stewards of these lands as we have been for the past 10,000 years. Diablo Lands is a place where our relatives are buried. Where our families walked, prayed, studied the stars, understood the ocean along with the wildlife, tended to plants and worked strategically to manage the natural resources necessary to thrive. We have continued many of the same traditions, but most recently only as guests here. With this unique opportunity we will be reclaiming our birthright to our homeland. Our partnership with The Land Conservancy for conservation and preservation of these lands is based on our mutual commitment of honoring the sacredness and importance of this place to our Tribe and to all people. This is about returning to the heart of our hearts, the land of our history and the place of our future.” – yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Northern Chumash Tribe of San Luis Obispo County and Region
“While there are still many unknowns related to what portions of the properties will be made available for purchase and when, we are excited to join with ytt in leading the effort to protect their homeland. There is a lot of work to do in the months and years ahead, but we are confident that together, with our community, we can protect this beautiful landscape for future generations, forever.” – Kaila Dettman, Executive Director of The Land Conservancy
To learn more about the ytt, visit their website at www.yttnorthernchumash.org. The community can experience part of the Diablo Canyon Lands on the Point Buchon and Pecho Coast Trails.
More information on these trails can be found at www.pge.com.
To learn how you can help with this effort, visit www.lcslo.org/diablocanyon
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County is a community-supported local nonprofit land trust working to conserve and care for the diverse wildlands, farms, and ranches of the Central Coast, connecting people to the land and to each other. The land trust helps to protect drinking water sources, prevent poorly planned development, restore wildlife habitat, promote family farmlands and ranches in our region, and connect people of all ages and backgrounds to the land. The Land Conservancy leads collaborative efforts which have resulted in the permanent protection over 20,000 acres of land in San Luis Obispo County.
The yak titʸu titʸu yak tiłhini are a tribe of indigenous Northern Chumash people from the San Luis Obispo County region. They represent an unbroken chain of lineage, kinship, and culture. The ytt Northern Chumash were the earliest residents of the central coast of California whose homeland can be in general described as the San Luis Obispo County region. “The purpose of ytt is to protect, preserve, and promote our culture, language, resources, and traditional ways.”