INCLINE VILLAGE, NV — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined bi-state, federal, and environmental leaders at Sand Harbor State Park in Nevada for the 26th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit. This year’s summit theme, “Protecting Lake Tahoe’s Future,” focused on the progress made to restore the Tahoe Basin over the last two decades, addressed current challenges that the surrounding communities face, and highlighted new ways to preserve and protect Lake Tahoe in the years to come. White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy gave the keynote address at the Summit hosted by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.).

“Climate change is an existential threat not only for Tahoe, but for all of our communities,” said Senator Padilla. “That is why I am proud of the work being done by the Tahoe conservation coalition, which has set the standard for interstate environmental improvement and drawn hundreds of millions of dollars to the region. Whether it be through the appropriations process or with the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, we are renewing America’s commitment to protecting our planet and its special ecological places, like the Tahoe Basin, for our children and future generations.”

Senator Padilla has been a key champion for Lake Tahoe in the U.S. Senate. He led the 25th Annual Tahoe Summit last year and launched the first virtual exhibit to highlight the pioneering conservation work of the Lake Tahoe Summit. Last month, Padilla voted for the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 to authorize U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works and ecosystem restoration activities including the planning, design, and construction of urban stormwater treatment facilities, watershed science, and environmental restoration at Lake Tahoe.

Senator Padilla supported $7 million of critical funding for fire suppression water infrastructure in the Tahoe Basin through the FY22 appropriations package, made even more essential by the recent Caldor Fire. Additionally, the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $3.4 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Padilla voted to pass last year. These new cooperative agreements with the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency will help combat the spread of aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe.

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