What’s the difference between Indigenous nations co-managing or co-stewarding their land? A lot.

• The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation and allies successfully advocated for the expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument to include Molok Luyuk, protecting it from wind farm development.

• Molok Luyuk, a biodiverse and culturally significant area, faces management challenges as tribes seek more control over its stewardship through co-stewardship agreements.

• The Biden administration supports co-stewardship models, encouraging collaboration between federal agencies and Indigenous tribes to manage ancestral lands.

• Co-stewardship agreements offer shared management of federal lands, while co-management provides tribes with decision-making authority, as seen with Bears Ears National Monument.

• Greater tribal autonomy over ancestral lands has proven beneficial for conservation, and tribes like the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation aim to formalize their management roles quickly.