All photos courtesy of Tuleyome
Molok Luyuk
(Condor Ridge)
Molok Luyuk
(Condor Ridge)
Molok Luyuk
Molok Luyuk (pronounced Ma.lok / Lue.yoke) means “Condor Ridge” in the Patwin language. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation named this extraordinary place for the condors that once thrived on Molok Luyuk and those they hope to see return.
Today, the Yocha Dehe and advocates are working to secure permanent protection for Molok Luyuk, a landscape rich in biodiversity and cultural significance.
Currently known to some as Walker Ridge, Molok Luyuk is located in Northern California, spanning from Williams to Clear Lake, east of Napa wine country. If protected, it would become an extension of the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which was designated by President Barack Obama in 2015.
Protection Status
Molok Luyuk is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Under protection, it would be the second U.S. national monument to include tribal co-management.
Rep. John Garamendi introduced The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act, H.R. 6366, with Rep. Mike Thompson in January 2022 to expand the monument and permanently protect Molok Luyuk. Senators Padilla and Feinstein later carried a Senate companion bill, S.4080. The legislation formally renames the area Molok Luyuk, and would enable federally recognized tribes to partner in the development of a management plan and ongoing co-management with federal agencies.
Now, Sen. Padilla and Rep. Garamendi are calling on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to expand the monument and permanently protect the region.
Protection Status
Molok Luyuk is currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Under protection, it would be the second U.S. national monument to include tribal co-management.
Rep. John Garamendi introduced The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Expansion Act, H.R. 6366, with Rep. Mike Thompson in January 2022 to expand the monument and permanently protect Molok Luyuk. Senators Padilla and Feinstein later carried a Senate companion bill, S.4080. The legislation formally renames the area Molok Luyuk, and would enable federally recognized tribes to partner in the development of a management plan and ongoing co-management with federal agencies.
Now, Sen. Padilla and Rep. Garamendi are calling on President Biden to use the Antiquities Act to expand the monument and permanently protect the region.
BIODIVERSITY
Rich in serpentine soil and fascinating geology, Molok Luyuk includes more than 40 rare plant species, the world’s largest stand of McNab cypress, oak woodlands, and wildflower meadows. Local wildlife like mountain lions, tule elk, and pacific fishers inhabit the region, along with six rare insects and 80 different species of butterflies.
CLIMATE RESILIENCE
Molok Luyuk is wildfire country, making strong management a top priority. As the impacts of climate change weigh on the region, animals and plants will need room to move for survival. The monument expansions coupled with tribal co-management help protect the region’s vulnerable wildlife and cultural resources from factors that exacerbate the effects of climate change, such as illegal off-highway vehicle activity and development.
ACCESS
Improved public lands management translates to better access. National monument designation and tribal co-management would allow for interpretive signage, trails, ADA access, and outcroppings for scenic sites. Molok Luyuk’s permanent protection would also bring ecotourism to the area, bolstering struggling local economies.
Tribal Acknowledgement
Molok Luyuk is culturally significant to Native American tribes such as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, who have who have inhabited the land for over 11,000 years.
Molok Luyuk was an important trading pathway for Patwin and Pomo, and sacred to many Tribes.
“
Molok Luyuk is a place of deep meaning and importance for many people of diverse backgrounds. Biologically and culturally important, the ridge deserves protection for conservation and enjoyment by current and future generations.”
Andrew Fulks
Advisory Council Member, Past-President and Co-Founder, Tuleyome
Learn more
News
The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Calls on President Biden to Protect Molok Luyuk
Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation
News
Tribal And Community Leaders Call On President Biden To Expand Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Expand Berryessa
News
Garamendi, Padilla lead request that President Biden expand the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument
Lake Country News
“
The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is extraordinary in many ways, with two of its most important aspects being its remarkable biodiversity and its profound spiritual meaning for the indigenous people of the region. Those characteristics are both strikingly present at Molok Luyuk (“Condor Ridge,” also known as Walker Ridge) which has merited permanent protection all along; I’m so grateful to Representative John Garamendi and Senators Padilla and Feinstein for taking action to give this special landscape the status it deserves.”
Victoria Brandon
Chair, Sierra Club Redwood Chapter
DID YOU KNOW?
Molok Luyuk visitors have views of Mount Shasta, Mount Lassen, and the Sierra Nevada.
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