WASHINGTON – Today Representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) spoke in support of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act during the House Natural Resources Committee Hearing.

“As the Congressman who represents the entire California side of Lake Tahoe, this bill is of the highest importance to my constituents, as well as the States of California and Nevada. But more than that, Lake Tahoe is an American treasure. Preserving its beauty and accessibility is an important national interest – and an important national responsibility, with 80 percent of its watershed under federal ownership. The Lake Tahoe Restoration Act has been crucial in enabling the communities in the basin to protect the lake for all Americans and for generations to come. This bipartisan legislation has become a national model for collaboration in the name of conservation, and I thank the Chairman for holding this important hearing,” said Rep. Kiley.

Click here to view Rep. Kiley’s opening statement as well as the response of the Chairman of the Committee to Kiley urging the bill’s adoption. Click here to view Rep. Kiley’s questions to the witnesses. At Rep. Kiley’s request, the Committee also heard from Ms. Julie Regan, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, who spoke in support of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act.

BACKGROUND:  The House Natural Resources Committee took up the Tahoe bill at Kiley’s urging. The Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act provides funding for projects that support forest health, water for fire infrastructure, watershed restoration, water quality, aquatic invasives species control, Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery, and accountability. Since the Act’s passage in 2016, Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) partners have implemented hundreds of projects, leveraged the federal investment 5-to-1 with state, local, and private funding, and supported 1,700 jobs per year.

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