Lytton Tribe Steps to a Homeland

JOURNEY TO RE-ESTABLISH A TRIBAL HOMELAND

JOURNEY TO RE-ESTABLISH THE LYTTON RANCHERIA

The existence of a Tribal Homeland is vital to maintaining the inherent sovereignty of the Lytton Rancheria. The homeland is necessary to sustain the Tribe’s efforts to provide governmental services for tribal members, such as housing, health care, education, economic development, and to protect the Tribes historic, cultural, and religious ties to the land.

In May 2009, Lytton took the first steps in reestablishing a tribal homeland by identifying the appropriate location, purchasing land, and filing a fee-to-trust application with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Tribe has worked closely with various local government organizations to develop agreements and plans that support the needs of the Tribe and the local community.

WINDSOR FIRE DISTRICT

The Lytton Rancheria entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Windsor Fire Protection District to provide emergency services to tribal members at the Tribal Homeland, which is within the District’s service area. Under the Agreement, the Windsor Fire Protection District will provide the initial response to reported emergencies including fire, medical, and rescue.

In return for these services, the Tribe has agreed to provide funding for equipment purchases, an additional full‐time firefighter, and various other payments. The Tribe will comply with the California Fire Code and Fire Safety Standards Ordinance during the construction of all housing and tribal buildings. The Tribe will also be responsible for providing adequate water and pressure for firefighting.

The Tribe has taken proactive steps to protect the property and structures against wildfires. This includes constructing adequate defensible space around buildings, using fire-resistant building materials, managing vegetation, and implementing preparedness protocols, such as 24-hour property security.

For more information on the agreement or mitigation efforts, please contact us.

WINDSOR UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

Lytton Rancheria has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Windsor Unified School District to prepare for and mitigate an increase in school-aged children who would move into the proposed tribal housing. The Tribe has agreed to pay, based on the Environmental Assessment for the housing project, the amount of $1 million. This amount is similar to the amount that would be owed to the School District if the land were developed by a non‐tribal entity.

The Tribe has also contributed millions of dollars towards the creation of a new pre-school and paid for the expansion of the Read-On Sonoma literacy program into Windsor schools.

AGREEMENT WITH SONOMA COUNTY

Lytton Rancheria and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors agreed to and signed a binding Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in March 2015. Both the Lytton Tribal Council and the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to support the agreement and potential legislation to take lands into trust for the Tribe.

The detailed Agreement with the County initially spans a term of a generation and covers almost every aspect of land management once the tribally‐owned land is taken into trust status. The entire MOA can be found here.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION - HR 2538

On May 15, 2015, Congressman Jared Huffman introduced HR 2538, the Lytton Rancheria Homelands Act of 2015 in support of the Tribe’s trust application. In addition to supporting the details of the Tribe's agreement with Sonoma County, this bill prohibited gaming on all Lytton trust lands noted in the bill.

Following various letters of support and committee hearings, this same legislation was approved by Congress and the President in January 2020.

PROJECT DETAILS

The Tribal Homeland project includes 94 single-family homes, 25 senior cottages, and 27 townhomes with room to grow. The Homeland also includes a 20,000 square foot Community Center, a 4,200 square foot Retreat, and a solar field, along with multi-use trails and open space.

The plan incorporates many sustainable features into the community as a whole, including the limited disturbance of the natural grade and preservation of existing trees; bio-swales and other stormwater runoff treatment/containment systems; cut-off luminaires and shielded lighting to avoid light pollution; water-efficient landscaping using primarily drought tolerant and native plant materials; energy-efficient buildings reducing energy use by HVAC and lighting systems and controls; and the use of renewable, recycled, and low VOC materials.

The Lytton Rancheria has implemented several meaningful initiatives in recent years to strengthen fire prevention efforts in Windsor County. Their work has included focused vegetation management and prevention measures along the community’s perimeter, as well as ongoing emergency preparedness training. The fire department regularly conducts drills to ensure swift and effective response during emergencies. As a result of these proactive measures, the average fire insurance costs on their land are notably lower than the regional average.