By Tevin Schmitt, Watershed Scientist
"Wishtoyo" is the Chumash word for "rainbow." As such, Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation serves as a "rainbow bridge" linking Chumash and First Nations culture, history and lifeways to pressing issues of natural and cultural resource protection.
In the mid-2000s, Wishtoyo advocated and litigated for the banning of lead ammunition for hunting in California, to protect the endangered species, one of the biggest threats that the condor faces.
Since that time, we have pursued dozens of CEQA, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act cases in the Utom (Santa Clara River) watershed to protect sensitive wildlife and habitats that support the restoration of the condor population.
Along with a consortium of other advocacy groups, Wishtoyo successfully advocates against irresponsible oil industry projects, like the Exxon Trucking project and Plains Valve Upgrade project that could have had substantial negative impacts on Condor habitat. https://tinyurl.com/SBoilHistory
Wishtoyo also advocates for better forest management and conservation decisions in the Los Padres National Forest. The Forest Service has recently proposed at least three ecologically detrimental projects under the guise of “fuel reduction” and “fire management” that would clear-cut old growth chaparral and coniferous forests that make up thousands of acres of critical Condor habitat and foraging acreage. https://wishtoyo.networkforgood.com
