Seven Tribes Win the Right to Gather Plants Inside Yosemite National Park

Seven tribes with deep roots in Yosemite Valley are one step closer to reclaiming a practice that predates the park itself.

Yosemite National Park has finalized an Environmental Assessment allowing members of seven federally recognized tribes to gather plants and plant parts within park boundaries for traditional cultural purposes. The decision concludes a years-long federal review process and opens the door for formal gathering agreements between the park and tribal nations historically tied to the land.

Under current rules, removing or disturbing plants inside the park is prohibited unless specifically authorized. That restriction has quietly eroded the intergenerational transfer of Indigenous cultural knowledge, a concern that helped drive the effort forward.

The process began in August 2022, when the Bridgeport Indian Colony submitted a gathering request on behalf of all seven tribes. Public comment followed in early 2025, and the finalized assessment outlines both the environmental considerations and the guidelines that will govern how traditional gathering takes place going forward.

The framework draws authority from a 2016 federal regulation that permits park units to negotiate agreements with federally recognized tribes for plant gathering. Yosemite’s plan is designed to protect park resources while honoring Indigenous Knowledge and ensuring that cultural traditions tied to the land can continue being passed down.

The park can now move into formal agreement negotiations with the tribes named in the assessment.