Give Land Back

Would you like to leave your legacy by being part of the Land back movement?

Here are a few examples of how to donate land:

  • Land Donation: This is a charitable donation of land which is given over immediately to the Wiyot Tribe. The land trust takes title to the property, assuming full ownership and future care of the property.
  • Easement: A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency. In the agreement, the landowner permanently restricts certain uses of the land in order to protect important conservation values (scenic, wildlife, agricultural). The property owner donates the easement to the land trust, which then has the responsibility of enforcing the terms of the easement. The landowner can continue to use the property, and may sell it, or leave it to heirs, but the restrictions of the easement stay with the land forever.
  • Gift of Future Ownership: Another method of donation is to make a gift of future ownership – the donor retains use of all or part of the donated land during his or her lifetime or the lifetime of designated immediate family members. The Wiyot Tribe would become the owner upon the donor’s death or other named event.
  • Donation by Devise: A gift of land through your will is a donation by devise. You retain full use and control over your land while you are alive and ensure its protection after you are gone. In this case you do not receive an income tax deduction, but your estate taxes are reduced, and your heirs may benefit from reduced inheritance taxes.

Where do you start?  

Contact David Cobb, Dishgamu Humboldt Community Land Trust Advancement Manager at:  David@wiyot.us 

What to expect 

  1. Meet with Dishgamu Community Land Trust Staff.  
  2. Discuss the property info and your individual wishes for the property
  3. Discuss transaction types 
  4. Discuss title restrictions (housing easement, conservation easement, or no restrictions)
  5. Dishgamu CLT staff will conduct a title search and environmental assessment   https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/documents/assessing_brownfield_sites.pdf
  6. Legal review 
  7. Recording https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/Ownership_DeedRecording.pdf
  8. Transfer complete

This process can sometimes be rather lengthy, but it is part of the legal framework we work within as a Tribal government beholden to its citizens.