On January 27, California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, along with Nevada Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen introduced the Santini-Burton Modernization Act, which would deliver more funding to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin with no new costs to taxpayers. Representative Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin) is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
The original Santini-Burton Act of 1980 has shaped the preservation of Lake Tahoe’s shoreline and the surrounding area for the last 45 years. The Santini-Burton Act also authorized the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to use funds for the purposes of preventing, controlling, or mitigating water pollution associated with USFS lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
The California and Nevada Senators’ Santini-Burton Modernization Act would allow USFS to 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. 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 Santini-Burton Act funds to be used for land management needs, prioritizing sustainable recreation and mitigation of environmental degradation;
- Creates no new costs to taxpayers.
Full text of the bill is available HERE.
For additional information, contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Staci Heaton.