Where We Work
EPIC’s office is located in Arcata, California (aka Goudi’ni, meaning "over there in
the woods," in the Wiyot language) in Humboldt County on California's North
Coast, within the unceded ancestral territory of the Wiyot peoples including the
Wiyot Tribe, Bear River Rancheria, and Blue Lake Rancheria.
EPIC's advocacy work extends to the environments and communities throughout
the five-county area of Northwest California. From our first legal battle in 1983 to
save Sally Bell Grove in Mendocino County to our current-day work keeping
cold, clean water flowing in the Trinity and Klamath River Watersheds and
defending the delicate, post-fire ecosystems in Northwest California’s four
national forests from harmful “salvage” logging, EPIC's work encompasses a
bioregion with an abundance of globally important ecosystems and biodiversity.
Northwest California is home to Earth’s largest remaining stands of old-growth
coast redwood trees, the largest undammed river in California (the Smith River),
annual salmon runs, the striking Trinity Alps, four national forests, and
innumerable other unique natural features and ecosystems. EPIC works
extensively with local communities and organizations in our region,
understanding that the environment of Northwest California is an interconnected whole consisting of flora, fauna, and people, and trying to benefit all. EPIC’s goal is to help create a Northwest California where people live harmoniously in a community of all beings, human and non-human, that respects and cares for the landscape in a way that demonstrates a serious commitment to the well-being of future generations.
EPIC also recognizes that Indigenous peoples throughout the United States and the world have essential, reciprocal, continuous relationships with their ancestral homelands, despite and regardless of ongoing colonization. The incredible landscapes and ecosystems of Northwest California, which EPIC exists to protect, are the result of Indigenous land stewardship that has shaped these lands for millennia, continuing into the present and future despite ongoing colonization.
If you live or work on Wiyot territory like we do, you can pay a voluntary annual Honor Tax directly to the Wiyot Nation as a way of recognizing and respecting the sovereignty of Native Nations, and implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The amount is decided by the individual. This is a "tax" out of respect for Native Sovereignty, rather than a gift or donation.
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The Honor Tax was not in any way initiated by the Wiyot Nation, although they have formally agreed via their Tribal Council to accept the Honor Tax. The Honor Tax was initiated by individuals, organizations, and businesses who want to actively recognize the sovereignty of the Wiyot Tribe and their right to their traditional land. We all live and work on Native land. If you do not live in Wiyot territory, we encourage you to find or initiate an Honor Tax in your community!
