WASHINGTON DC (KOLO) – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen penned a letter to the Trump administration asking them to ensure the Lake Tahoe Benefits from the EXPLORE Act are preserved.
They joined California Senators Adam Schiff (D) and Alex Padilla (D) in a letter to Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in asking for these protections to be upheld.
The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act was signed into law during the last Congressional session.
“Lake Tahoe is a beautiful, unique environment that both our states cherish and enjoy for its plentiful outdoor recreation opportunities and its precious natural resource value,” the Senators wrote. “We follow a line of previous California and Nevada Senators who have worked with numerous administrations across decades to preserve and protect Lake Tahoe for Californians, Nevadans, and the millions of people from beyond our states who visit Tahoe every year.”
Their letter asks that the USDA and DOI implement the following in the Tahoe region:
- Select Tahoe’s long-distance bike trails for official designation and create a new unpaved trail that circumnavigates the region.
- Account for the unique needs of Tahoe’s gateway community in terms of housing, municipal infrastructure, visitation, and expansion of visitation on federal land.
- Direct a USDA pilot program with a pay-for-performance finance model for recreation projects on or benefiting Forest Service lands.
- Affirm that Tahoe qualifies as a participant in the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, making it eligible for grants to improve recreational opportunities.
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