Contact Tim Ahern, 415-710-9095

PORTLAND, OR, 12/18/08: The Klamath Tribes and the Trust for Public Land, a national conservation organization, today announced the Klamath Tribes have signed an Option Agreement to buy the 90,000-acre Mazama Forest in south-central Oregon. The land was part of the tribes' 1.2 million acre reservation until 1954, when an act of Congress known as "Termination" took away their land rights, leading to displacement and hardship for the Tribes.

The land, located east of Crater Lake, will be purchased from Cascade Timberlands, LLC, which owns approximately 270,000 acres in central Oregon.

"This is an exciting step in rebuilding a tribal nation that was wrongly terminated," said Charles F. Sams, III, Director of TPL's Tribal and Native Lands program. "This acquisition represents 8% of the reservation as it was in 1954."

"This is the first step towards re-creating a sustainable homeland for the Klamath Tribes," said Joe Kirk, the Tribal Chairman. "We wish to thank Fidelity and their shareholders along with TPL for the opportunity to return this property to the Tribal ownership.

Fidelity National Timber Resources, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fidelity National Financial, Inc., is the majority owner of Cascade Timberlands. Greg Lane, Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity National Timber, said "From the inception of Fidelity's acquisition of the Oregon land holdings, we have attempted to demonstrate and execute on a new economic model for large tracts of land capable of achieving significant conservation, environmental and social milestones, while providing a solid return on investment. After researching the history of the Klamath Tribes and meeting with their representatives, it became clear that a core component of this strategy would be to assist the Klamath Tribes in their tireless efforts to recapture significant portions of their ancestral lands and enhance their economic opportunities. The professionalism and diligence demonstrated by the representatives of the Klamath Tribes and the Trust for Public Land over the two-year negotiation period was extraordinary. We are proud to be a part of this historic transaction and will continue to assist the Klamath Tribes to ensure the ultimate consummation of the acquisition."

The final price for the property will be confirmed by an independent appraisal. But part of the cost will be paid from the federal government as part of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement reached this summer. The restoration effort also involves the recently announced agreement in principle to remove four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River to help restore the once great salmon fishery and watershed of the Klamath Basin.

The Klamath Tribes (comprised of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin people) owned the Mazama Forest until 1954, when the U.S. government set aside long-standing ratified treaties under the "termination" program. All tribal resources were liquidated in return for a lump sum payment. The U.S. government sold the Mazama property to Crown Zellerbach, but after a subsequent owner, Crown Pacific LLP, went bankrupt, ownership was transferred to Cascade Timberlands, which was originally comprised of Crown Pacific creditors.

The termination policy was reversed in 1968, and the Klamath Tribes regained federal recognition in 1986, but not their reservation. The Tribes struggled to recover from the loss of their homeland, but now have a strong, self-reliant community, long dedicated to regaining at least a portion of their ancestral lands.

The Klamath Tribes have developed a restoration-based forest management plan under which the Mazama Forest will be managed. The forest will provide a cornerstone for the Tribes' forest-based economic development enterprises as soon as they take ownership next fall.

Doug Stamm, chief executive of the Meyer Memorial Trust, which has supported TPL's Tribal and Native Lands program, said, "The Meyer Memorial Trust is pleased to support the rightful return of the 90,000-acre Mazama Forest in south-central Oregon to the Klamath Tribes, which serves as the spiritual, cultural and economic hub for the Tribe."