Around the Region rounds up news from California’s tribal nations, recognized and unrecognized. This week: new state stewardship deals in the north, and the long gambling war in the courts.
Seven tribes sign Clear Lake co-management agreement
Seven tribal governments have signed a co-management agreement for Clear Lake and its watershed with more than a dozen state and local agencies. The goal is to save the Chi, the Clear Lake hitch, a native fish the tribes call a cultural relative.
The tribes are the Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake, Robinson Rancheria, Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Middletown Rancheria, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, Elem Indian Colony and Koi Nation, according to the signed agreement posted by Lake County. State signers include the Natural Resources Agency, CalEPA, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, State Parks and the State Water Board. Lake County and the cities of Clearlake and Lakeport also signed.
The agreement describes the Chi as “not only a native species—it is a cultural relative and a teacher.” It commits the parties to coordinate on harmful algal blooms, legacy mercury, enforcement against illegal cannabis grows, and grant funding. It also says plainly that it “is not legally binding nor is it intended to be the final form of co‑management.”
The governor’s office called it “California’s first watershed co-management agreement since the passage of AB 1284 (Ramos, 2024).”
The fine print: The agreement quotes AB 1284, now Government Code § 11019.82, which “encourages the Natural Resources Agency to enter into cogovernance and comanagement agreements with federally recognized tribes.” The signers are listed as the “Federally Recognized Tribal Parties.” Under the law as written, the Muwekma and other Ohlone tribes have no clear path to a similar agreement for the San Francisco Bay, even though their ancestors managed it for thousands of years.
A second cultural burn agreement
In the same Sept. 25 announcement, the governor’s office said the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians and the Natural Resources Agency “will be signing California’s second cultural burn agreement under SB 310 (Dodd, 2024).” The office said the agreement “will remove specific state barriers to Paskenta cultural burning.”
Cultural fire is good news for California’s land. But the access rule is the same. The legislative digest for SB 310 says it authorizes the state “to enter into written agreements with federally recognized California Native American tribes.” The Muwekma are not eligible, and their work with cultural burning is now the subject of a museum exhibition in Los Gatos.
The cardroom war moves to the appeals courts
California’s gaming tribes and its cardrooms are fighting on two legal fronts, and both are now on appeal.
The regulations case. On June 30, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard Darwin ruled that the state Bureau of Gambling Control lacked authority to issue regulations that would have banned blackjack at cardrooms and restricted “player-dealer” games, CalMatters reported. The Attorney General’s office says the court issued a writ July 8 and final judgments July 10 barring enforcement. On July 17, Attorney General Rob Bonta announced an appeal. “We believe the law is on our side, and we look forward to making our case before the Court of Appeal,” he said.
The tribes’ own lawsuit. Under SB 549, a 2024 law that gave tribes one chance to sue cardrooms in Sacramento, the tribes filed suit on Jan. 2, 2025. A Sacramento judge dismissed it in October 2025, ruling that federal gambling law superseded the state measure, CalMatters reported. The tribes’ appeal, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians et al. v. Parkwest Bicycle Casino, is pending in the Third District Court of Appeal as case C105247.
Why it matters here: Some of that cardroom money is earned in Muwekma territory. A San Jose councilmember told lawmakers the city gets $30 million a year from cardroom taxes, CalMatters reported. Gaming money also shapes Bay Area politics. This paper has reported on the Tribe’s view that California’s gaming tribes have spent heavily to block its recognition. Whichever side wins, the gambling fight shows how much money is moving through Sacramento on tribal issues. Tribes without federal recognition have no seat in that fight.
Have news from your tribe or community? The Muwekma Times wants to hear from California’s tribal nations, recognized and unrecognized.
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