Where We Work
EPIC's work extends to the environments and communities throughout the
five-county area of Northwest California. From our first legal battle to save
Sally Bell Grove in Mendocino County to our work to keep cold, clean water
flowing in the Trinity and Klamath Rivers, EPIC's work encompasses a bioregion
with an abundance of globally important ecosystems and biodiversity.
Northwest California is home to the Earth’s largest remaining stands of
old-growth coast redwood trees, annual salmon runs, the striking Trinity Alps,
the largest undammed river in California (the Smith River), four national forests,
and other innumerable unique natural features and ecosystems. EPIC works
extensively with local communities and organizations in the region,
understanding that the environment of Northwest California is an
interconnected whole consisting of flora, fauna, and people. EPIC’s goal is to
protect Northwest California so that people may live harmoniously in a
community of all beings that respects and cares for the landscape in a way that
demonstrates a serious commitment to the well-being of future generations.
EPIC’s office is located in Arcata, California - or 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.
As an environmental organization, EPIC acknowledges that Indigenous peoples have essential, continuous, mutual, and ongoing relationships with their ancestral homelands. 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, 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.
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!
