THE LATEST – JUNE 28, 2025
On Saturday, June 28, the U.S. Senate completely removed a proposal from the federal budget reconciliation bill that would have put millions of acres of treasured public lands up for sale, including in and around the Lake Tahoe Basin. This attempted sell-off would have had disastrous unintended consequences and excluded any input from local communities or Tribal consultation. It would also have threatened critical federal resources used to manage and protect lands in Tahoe — work that’s vital to keep Lake Tahoe’s waters blue and beautiful.
Thankfully, that threat is off the table.
This is a huge win for everyone who loves Tahoe and other federally managed outdoor spaces across California, Nevada, and the American West. It’s also a testament to the thousands of passionate people who spoke out against this dangerous and misguided proposal.
Congressman Kevin Kiley deserves special thanks for speaking out early and often against the sale of public lands alongside a growing number of his Republican colleagues in the House and Senate.
Our organization and movement to Keep Tahoe Blue applauds the work of our fellow public lands champions. Our message was clear — Tahoe must not be for sale. Our goals were, and are, to ensure public lands stay public, safeguard the resources to protect them, and Keep Tahoe Blue. Tahoe belongs to all of us, and thanks to those who spoke up, it will stay that way.
THE ISSUE
A federal proposal to sell off public lands, including in the Tahoe Basin, has dangerous unintended consequences for Tahoe. The Basin is more than 75% public lands, most of which are places where you recreate – hike, bike, swim, ski, and camp. Tahoe’s public lands are uniquely managed by our federal partners to protect our environment and communities against wildfire, and to protect Tahoe’s water quality – they are necessary to Keep Tahoe Blue. These lands should not be for sale. This is not a partisan issue, it’s an issue for everyone who loves Tahoe no matter what side of the aisle you sit on.
Read more about the issue in SFGATE and South Tahoe Now.
CONCLUDED – HOW YOU CAN HELP
If you live in California and reached out to Congressman Kevin Kiley about the proposal to sell off public lands, including in Tahoe, your efforts helped get his office to release a statement last week opposing the land sales proposal. Please consider emailing a thank you to Kiley’s office. Here’s a sample email you can personalize then send to Congressman Kiley, thanking him for his recent statement and urging him to keep elevating his concerns with Republican leadership. Remember, the more personal you make your email, the greater the impact.
Dear Congressman Kiley,
As your constituent and resident of [Your City], I want to thank you for speaking out in opposition to the extremely misguided Senate proposal to sell off our public lands and redirect federal resources away from Tahoe.
Even with Forest Service lands excluded from the new version of the public lands proposal, it still would siphon critical federal resources away from Tahoe. These resources help carry out projects for hazardous fuels reduction, erosion control, aquatic invasive species removal, watershed management, among others.
Your leadership in elevating local concerns matters, and I encourage you to continue speaking out to ensure the Senate does not move forward with any proposal that takes critical funding and resources away from Tahoe.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your City and Zip Code]
If you live on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, you can reach out to Congressman Mark Amodei’s office. Here’s a draft message for you to personalize and send.
Dear Congressman Amodei,
My name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your City] in Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District.
As an outdoor enthusiast and a proud resident of NV-02, I’m upset about the revised Senate budget bill that would take away critical federal resources from Tahoe.
Even though the new version excludes Forest Service lands from lands sales, critical federal resources used to manage and protect public lands in Tahoe and across Nevada are still under threat. These resources help carry out projects for hazardous fuels reduction, erosion control, aquatic invasive species removal, watershed management, among others.
As your constituent, I am disappointed in your continued support for this legislation and the spending package’s approach that undermines resources for Tahoe and the rest of Nevada.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your City and Zip Code]
Thank you to Sierra Nevada Alliance for leading this action campaign.