Big Bucks Coming for Lake Tahoe Restoration

In this age of discord, it is a rare thing to see discordant members of Congress agree on anything. However, Lake Tahoe and the will to preserve its unique beauty have succeeded in bringing people together from both sides of the political aisle and both sides of the Nevada / California state line. The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2009 will continue work started by the original act passed in 2000 and add some additional features. The spending plan calls for $415 over the next eight years.

All four U.S. Senators from Nevada and California are behind the bill - Harry Reid, D-Nev., John Ensign, R-Nev., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. In the House of Representatives, the bill was introduced by Dean Heller, R-Carson City, with the support of Shelley Berkley, D-Las Vegas, Dina Titus, D-Henderson, and Tom McClintock, R-Calif. If you are keeping score, the entire Nevada Congressional delegation supports the legislation.

The money will provide funding for outreach and education, plus these major programs...

• Stormwater management & watershed restoration - $72 million
• Priority restoration projects - $136 million
• Forest fuels reduction - $136 million
• Invasive species abatement (Asian clams, quagga & zebra mussels, etc.) - $20.5 million
• Reintroduction of Lahontan cutthroat trout - $20 million
• Science & research - $30 million

Sources: North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, Reno Gazette-Journal.

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