Rosen Helps Introduce Legislation to Support Lake Tahoe Conservation Efforts

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced legislation to deliver more funding to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin.

The Santini Burton Act of 1980 authorized the sale of federal land in Clark County to fund the acquisition and management of environmentally sensitive land in the Lake Tahoe Basin for conservation and public access. With the 1980 law, the federal government acquired more than 16,000 acres of land in the Tahoe Basin. These lands protect Tahoe's famed clarity and offer world-class recreation opportunities on public lands. However, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act unintentionally limited the use of funds generated by Santini-Burton to land acquisitions only and left out ongoing management of those lands.

The Santini-Burton Modernization Act would allow U.S. Forest Service to once again use funds to manage public lands in the Tahoe Basin, with an emphasis on protecting lake clarity, reducing wildfire risk, and addressing recreation impacts, all of which were outlined in the original law. The bill would also expand the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California's authority to manage lands in the Basin.

"Lake Tahoe is a crown jewel of Nevada and the West, and we must do everything we can to preserve it for generations to come," said Senator Rosen. "We've made tremendous progress mitigating the impacts of pollution and invasive species, but we can, and we must do more. I'm proud to continue this legacy by supporting legislation to ensure our local, state, and Tribal communities have all the necessary resources to help preserve one of Nevada's most unique natural wonders for generations to come."

As a Senator from the state with the highest percentage of public land in the country, Senator Rosen has worked tirelessly to improve access to and increase protection of Nevada's public lands. She recently introduced the Carson City Public Land Correction Act, which will improve public lands management and expand economic development opportunities in Carson City. She also introduced the Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act, also known as the Washoe County Lands Bill, to expand economic development opportunities and make more land available for housing in Washoe County, support local Tribal communities, increase access to outdoor recreation, and protect public lands. Senator Rosen has also pushed the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to hold a hearing on this critically important bill. Her Pershing County Economic Development and Conservation Act, which would expand protections for and improve the management of federal public lands in Pershing County and create new conservation and recreation opportunities, received a Senate hearing last month.

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