Press release produced by the office of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.). Please stop by Tahoe RCD’s table at the annual summit for information about aquatic invasive species prevention and control work being done in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
United States Senator of California | Dianne Feinstein | July 17, 2019
Governor Newsom will deliver keynote at 23rd annual summit
Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced today that the 23rd annual Lake Tahoe Summit will be held on August 20, 2019, at Valhalla Tahoe in South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Governor Gavin Newsom will deliver the keynote address.
The bipartisan event will examine successful restoration projects and ways to address new challenges facing the lake. A key focus will be combating the effects of climate change and wildfire in the Lake Tahoe basin.
“I’m constantly inspired by the Tahoe community’s passion and dedication to saving the lake,” Senator Feinstein said. “Since the first summit in 1997, we’ve made tremendous progress toward restoring and protecting Lake Tahoe. Next month, we’ll join together again to celebrate that success while discussing ways to confront new challenges presented by climate change. I’m delighted that Governor Newsom will deliver this year’s keynote address and hope everyone who shares our commitment to saving Lake Tahoe will join us.”
The Lake Tahoe Summit is free and open to the public, but attendees should register in advance through the Lake Tahoe Fund’s website.
Due to limited on-site parking, attendees are encouraged to use public transportation or the complimentary shuttle service to get to and from the summit. There will also be a bicycle valet service courtesy of the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition.
The first Lake Tahoe Summit was held in 1997 when President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore held a presidential forum at Lake Tahoe. The forum signaled a renewed federal commitment to the lake and helped launch a public-private sponsorship that has since invested more than $2 billion in restoration projects in the Lake Tahoe basin.
In 2000, Senator Feinstein, along with Senators Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Richard Bryan (D-Nev.), passed the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which authorized $300 million over 10 years to restore the lake.
In 2016, Senator Feinstein joined with Senators Reid, Boxer and Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to pass a 10-year extension of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, authorizing an additional $415 million for projects to improve Lake Tahoe’s water clarity, reduce risks for catastrophic wildfires, combat invasive species and protect threatened species and wildlands.