Protecting Lake Tahoe requires more than restoration projects and community programs. It also requires strong advocacy where policy decisions are made.
Behind many of the protections that safeguard Tahoe’s water quality and public lands is Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team who work with leaders at the state and federal level to secure the funding and strong environmental policies that are the bedrock of a healthy Tahoe.
As an organization and individually, the team has built decades-long relationships with lawmakers and civil servants that we put to work to ensure that the Lake Tahoe Basin’s environmental priorities remain visible in legislation, funding decisions, and public policy.
At key moments during the year, that work becomes especially important.
Why This Time of Year Matters for Tahoe Policy
Each spring marks a critical window for policymaking. Legislators introduce bills, develop budgets, and review funding requests that shape environmental priorities for the near future. For Lake Tahoe, this is when advocacy can have the greatest impact.
Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team works closely with lawmakers, agencies, and partners across the Basin to ensure Tahoe’s needs are part of those discussions. That includes advocating for policies that support forest health, watershed restoration, sustainable recreation, and the long-term protection of Lake Tahoe’s famous clarity.
Federal Advocacy: Advancing Tahoe Priorities in Washington
One recent example of this work is the Santini-Burton Modernization Act (SBMA), federal legislation that updates a decades-old law supporting conservation in the Tahoe Basin.
The original Santini-Burton Act of 1980 directed proceeds from certain federal land sales in Southern Nevada toward land acquisition and environmental protection around Lake Tahoe. Over time, however, restrictions limited how those funds could be used. Read more about the SBMA.
The proposed modernization of the law will restore flexibility so funding can support land management and environmental improvement projects, not just land acquisition. For more than five years, Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team worked alongside regional partners and federal leaders to help craft, build support for, and introduce the legislation, making certain that it reflects Tahoe’s modern conservation needs.
Beyond legislation, the policy team also advocates for continued federal funding through the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act that supports environmental projects in the Basin. This includes working with Congress on annual appropriations and programs that help bring tens of millions to forest health, watershed restoration, and infrastructure improvements that protect water quality and recreation access.
State Policy Work in California
Advocacy for Lake Tahoe also happens in Sacramento, where state policy decisions influence transportation, recreation management, and environmental protection across the Basin.
One area receiving increased attention is the Emerald Bay transportation corridor, where visitation regularly overwhelms current infrastructure. Heavy traffic and parking demand have created safety challenges and environmental pressure in one of Tahoe’s most iconic destinations.
Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team has been working with state leaders and regional partners to support solutions that improve safety and access while protecting the surrounding environment. Efforts such as the Emerald Bay Shuttle pilot program demonstrate how policy and transportation planning can work together to manage visitation more sustainably.
An Off Year in Nevada, but the Work Continues
Nevada operates on a biennial legislative cycle and will reconvene in 2027. During this interim period, legislative activity pauses, but the advocacy work continues.
Keep Tahoe Blue’s Policy Team remains engaged through forums like the Nevada State Legislative Committee for the Review and Oversight of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) and the Marlette Lake Water System. This committee, made up of eight state legislators, meets during interim sessions to review the work of TRPA, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program, and Nevada agencies in the Basin.
Recent meetings have focused on key Tahoe issues, including transportation, aquatic invasive species, housing, and economic development.
The Policy Team also continues to build on efforts from the last legislative session. In 2025, Keep Tahoe Blue advanced legislation to limit small single-use plastic water bottles on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe, one of the most common sources of litter. This follows the success of the South Lake Tahoe single-use plastic water bottle ban that went into effect Earth Day 2024.
While that bill is not active during the interim, advocacy and stakeholder engagement continue to maintain momentum and prepare for future legislative action.
Turning Policy into Real Protection for the Lake
Policy decisions often happen far from the shores of Lake Tahoe, but their impact is felt across the Basin. Funding and legislation supported through advocacy efforts ultimately help enable projects that restore wetlands, improve forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and protect the watershed.
Projects such as the ongoing restoration of a former Motel 6 site that sat in the floodplain in the Upper Truckee Marsh illustrate how policy, science, and on-the-ground work come together to improve ecosystem health and strengthen Tahoe’s resilience.
Looking Ahead
Lake Tahoe faces evolving challenges, from climate change and wildfire risk to increasing recreation pressure. Addressing those challenges requires continued collaboration among scientists, land managers, community partners, and policymakers.
Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team will continue working in Sacramento, Carson City, and Washington, D.C., to advocate for the policies and funding that support Tahoe’s long-term protection. We’ve been doing this work for nearly seventy years because Tahoe’s complexity (two states and five counties) demands action at the highest levels of government. Advocacy may happen behind the scenes, but it plays a critical role in ensuring that Lake Tahoe’s environmental needs remain a priority in decision-making.