U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) on Jan. 27 sponsored a bipartisan bill that would provide more federal funding to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin.
“Protecting Lake Tahoe is a responsibility we all share,” Rep. Kiley said on Tuesday. “As a strong supporter of public lands, I believe we must be good stewards of the places Americans cherish most.”
Specifically, H.R. 7255 would amend the Santini-Burton Act of 1980, which authorized the sale of federal land 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.
However, the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act unintentionally limited the use of funds generated by Santini-Burton to land acquisitions only, and omitted ongoing management of the lands.
The Santini-Burton Modernization Act, H.R. 7255, which is cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV), would allow the U.S. Forest Service to once again use Santini-Burton Act funds to manage public lands in the Tahoe Basin, with an emphasis on protecting lake clarity, reducing wildfire risk, and addressing recreation impacts.
“Building on our bipartisan success last Congress with the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act, this legislation ensures that funds originally intended to conserve the Tahoe Basin can be used effectively to manage these lands, reduce wildfire risk, and preserve public access for future generations,” said Rep. Kiley. “I’m proud to continue working in a bipartisan way to keep Tahoe healthy and thriving.”
If enacted, the bill also would expand the Washoe Tribe of Nevada, as well as California’s authority to manage lands in the basin region, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The U.S. Senate version of the bill is being led by U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).