Garamendi addresses environmental initiatives at annual Lake Tahoe Summit

ZEPHYR COVE, NV—Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA), who coordinated the first Tahoe Summit as Deputy Secretary of Interior, spoke at the 28th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit. The event convened a bipartisan, bi-state coalition of local, state, federal, Tribal, and environmental leaders at Zephyr Cove in Nevada. This year’s summit, titled “Connecting Tahoe: Investing in Transit, Trails, and Technology for the Future,” focused on significant investments in transit infrastructure to reduce traffic and air pollution caused by car dependency.

Garamendi was California’s lead negotiator on the California-Nevada effort to restructure the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) into a robust agency capable of protecting Lake Tahoe. He successfully developed a bi-state transit program that now serves as the foundation for efforts to establish a readily available public transit system around the lake.

The 28th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit marked the first since Senator Dianne Feinstein's passing last fall. Senator Feinstein was instrumental in organizing the inaugural Tahoe Summit in 1997. She led the California and Nevada delegations in securing significant federal investments to preserve Lake Tahoe and its surrounding basin for future generations. Her work culminated in sponsoring the original Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, enacted in 2000 with bipartisan support.

“As we continue to fight climate change, it is imperative that we work to preserve areas like Lake Tahoe,” said Garamendi. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue Senator Feinstein’s legacy of protecting this special place for generations to come.”

Significant progress has been made this Congress to protect the Lake Tahoe Basin. Key efforts include reauthorizing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s pilot program to prevent invasive aquatic species, securing $25 million annually through 2030. An additional $20 million in federal funding has been allocated for water infrastructure improvements across the Basin in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers, addressing septic leeching and stormwater runoff. This builds on the $50 million authorized by Congress in 2022. The bipartisan “Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act of 2024” (S.612), introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and Congressman Mark Amodei and co-sponsored by Garamendi, is also expected to pass, renewing cooperative authorities for wildfire prevention and response.

A video of the 28th Annual Lake Tahoe Summit can be found here.