WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation on Monday to deliver more funding to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin.  

The Santini-Burton Act of 1980 (S-B Act) 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 help 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 the ongoing management of those lands.

Senator Cortez Masto’s Santini-Burton Modernization Act would allow the U.S. Forest Service to once again use S-B Act 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.

“The Lake Tahoe Basin’s stunning blue waters and surrounding evergreen forests are beloved by Nevadans and visitors from around the world,” said Senator Cortez Masto.“As stewards of this national treasure, it is our responsibility to ensure that state, local, and Tribal governments have the tools they need to preserve it for future generations.”

“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.”

“Lake Tahoe is one of our nation’s greatest natural landmarks, and we must work together across state and party lines to protect this environmental marvel from climate change, pollution, and overdevelopment,” said Senator Padilla.“Our bipartisan, bicameral bill would keep Tahoe funds in Tahoe, repurposing existing funding streams to give our federal, state, local, and tribal partners in the Tahoe Basin more tools to address evolving long-term land management needs, including sustainable recreation and public access improvements.”

“Lake Tahoe is one of the crown jewels for both California and Nevada, and we must work together to preserve its natural wonders for future generations. This legislation ensures we have the federal resources and funds to address the core priorities in keeping Tahoe blue: protecting water clarity and lake health, updating and improving recreation sites, and reducing wildfire risk,” said Senator Schiff.

The Santini-Burton Modernization Act is endorsed by the Nevada Division of State Lands, the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Keep Tahoe Blue, the Tahoe Fund, the California Tahoe Conservancy, and local elected officials. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.-03).

“Protecting Lake Tahoe is a responsibility we all share,” said Congressman Kiley. “As a strong supporter of public lands, I believe we must be good stewards of the places Americans cherish most. 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. I’m proud to continue working in a bipartisan way to keep Tahoe healthy and thriving.” 

“On behalf of Team Tahoe, I want to thank our congressional delegation for continuing to advocate for Lake Tahoe,” said Julie Regan, executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “The original Santini-Burton Act and the proposed modernization exemplify the importance of federal investments at Tahoe to protect the lake’s famed clarity and ensure the public can safely enjoy our abundant public lands.”

“The Santini-Burton Modernization Act will help us write the next chapter of Tahoe’s conservation success story. Drafted in true collaboration by and for Tahoe partners, this legislation will unlock essential funding to protect the lake and basin for future generations—without costing taxpayers a dime,” said Keep Tahoe Blue CEO Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD. “I look forward to working with the bill’s leads, Senator Cortez Masto and Congressman Kiley, on turning this proposal into law.”

“The health of the land equals the health of the people. For many years we have been working to bring Washoe people back onto our homelands and become stewards of the land the way our ancestors have for thousands of years. Updating the Santini-Burton Act will be a huge step for all of us to create the safe and healthy forests we all need,” said Serrell Smokey, Chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. 

Specifically, the Santini-Burton Modernization Act:

  • Maintains the U.S. Forest Service’s existing authority to facilitate land acquisitions in the Tahoe Basin;
  • Designates the Washoe Tribe as an eligible entity to receive transfer of acquired land, a designation already afforded to state and local governments;
  • Allows existing S-B Act funds to be used for land management needs, prioritizing sustainable recreation and mitigation of environmental degradation;
  • Maintains the 1980 federal land sale boundaries in Clark County; and
  • Creates no new costs to taxpayers.

The full text of the bill can be found here.