WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded $3.4 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for cooperative agreements with the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to combat the spread of aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe.

“We applaud the Biden administration’s announcement of funds to fight aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe. This $3.4 million is the first tranche of a total of $17 million over five years that we secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Stopping the spread of invasive species requires a long-term approach, including habitat restoration, conservation, and species control. Lake Tahoe is not only one of the most special places in the world, it is sacred ancestral land to the Washoe Tribe. Protecting Tahoe’s deep blue water and unique ecosystem needs to be a collaborative effort, and we are glad to see the administration engaging Tribal Nations as part of this work.”

The agreements will support efforts to remove the Eurasian watermilfoil— a pernicious aquatic invasive plant— as well as funding for public outreach and education about aquatic invasive species, and investments in permanent inspection stations. A total of $17 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will be made available for such work over the next five years. 

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