Amah Mutsun Land Trust

Formed by the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band in 2015, Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT) is an Indigenous land trust that engages Tribal members, community volunteers, conservation organizations, and public land agencies in stewardship and conservation partnerships that restore sacredness to ancestral Mutsun lands and waters.

AMLT’s work spans land acquisition, ocean conservation, native plant propagation, and hands‑on stewardship. We’re also partnering with the Tribe to help connect Tribal members with ancestral lands and traditional stewardship practices through our annual Mutsun Youth Summer Camp, internship programs, Native Stewardship Corps, and Tribal educational programs.

In December 2025, AMLT acquired a 50-acre property near the intersection of Highways 129 and 101 in San Juan Bautista, Calif., marking the first time the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band (AMTB) regained full access rights to land in its traditional territory since its forced removal over 225 years ago. The acquisition was made possible by a partnership with Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and Trust for Public Land (TPL), with additional support from Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), and Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. 

In January 2026, our partners at Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) completed the purchase of the Juristac property, the most sacred land to AMTB. The land had been threatened by a proposed sand-and-gravel mine, and the Tribe worked hard for over a decade, in partnership with environmental advocates, to fight the proposal. POST has granted AMLT access rights, and we are working on a partnership agreement that centers the Tribe in the property’s long-term future, with potential AMLT ownership and stewardship. AMLT is also in the process of purchasing a highly sacred piece of land in the Gilroy area, adjacent to Chitactac-Adams County Park,  which we hope to acquire in 2027. The 30‑acre property includes 7 acres of agricultural fields that we plan to use to grow native plants and seeds for land restoration, Tribal foods, medicine, fiber, dyes, and ceremony. The property also has a residential house available for meetings and gatherings.

Amah Mutsun Land Trust is at a pivotal moment in our organization’s history. One that requires flexible, values‑aligned investment to meet the scale of our growing responsibilities. Unrestricted funding is our most urgent need. It allows us to stay nimble, respond quickly to challenges, and adapt as the organization evolves. Simultaneously, our current and upcoming land acquisitions require significant long‑term stewardship funding and expanded capacity to care for these lands in perpetuity. Supporting AMLT with unrestricted and stewardship‑focused resources strengthens the entire organization and safeguards the future of Mutsun lands and people.