Why this Bill Matters for Tahoe Right Now
One way to protect Lake Tahoe is by setting aside land for conservation. But the job isn’t done there. The next and crucial step is caring for that land in ways that protect water quality, reduce wildfire risk, and support responsible recreation.
The Santini-Burton Modernization Act focuses on that missing piece. It updates a decades-old federal law, so funds dedicated to Tahoe years ago can once again be used not only to acquire land, but to steward it, and at no cost to taxpayers.
A Landmark Law and an Unintended Limitation
Congress passed the original Santini-Burton Act in 1980, when Tahoe’s clarity was declining and Southern Nevada was growing rapidly. The law directed proceeds from certain federal land sales in Southern Nevada to support environmental protection and public land acquisition in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Those funds helped the USDA Forest Service secure thousands of acres of public land that are much-loved places in Tahoe’s protected landscape today; places like Sawmill Pond, the Upper Truckee River, sections of Tahoe’s East Shore, Blackwood Canyon, Hurricane Bay, and more.
However, a federal law from the 2000s unintentionally narrowed how those funds could be used. Santini-Burton dollars became restricted to land acquisition, excluding land management and restoration.
That shift created a growing gap. The Forest Service could acquire land but not use the same dedicated funding to care for it. Essential work like erosion control, forest health treatments, restoration, and recreation infrastructure had to rely on separate and often uncertain funding sources.
In a Basin where more than 90 percent of land is publicly managed, that limitation became increasingly out of step with Tahoe’s long-term needs.
“The Santini-Burton Modernization Act will help us write the next chapter of Tahoe's conservation success story. Drafted in true collaboration by and for Tahoe partners, this legislation will unlock essential funding to protect the Lake and Basin for future generations — without costing taxpayers a dime."
Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, Keep Tahoe Blue CEOWhat the Santini-Burton Modernization Act Updates
The Santini-Burton Modernization Act restores the law’s original intent by allowing existing funds to once again support land management and restoration, not just acquisition.
Keep Tahoe Blue’s policy team worked with Basin partners like the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada to shape the bill by translating on-the-ground needs into legislation.
If fully implemented, the updated law would allow Santini-Burton funds to support:
- Forest and fuels treatments that reduce wildfire risk
- Restoration projects that protect Lake Tahoe’s water quality
- Infrastructure improvements that make recreation more sustainable
- Stewardship investments on lands already held in public trust
Crucially, the bill also includes provisions to support the Washoe Tribe in expanding the tribe’s presence and resources to steward their ancestral homelands in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
Why this Matters for Tahoe’s Future
Tahoe’s challenges today are different than they were in 1980 and even in 2000. Climate change, recreation pressure, and wildfire risk demand active stewardship, not just land ownership.
By restoring flexibility in how existing Santini-Burton funds can be used, this legislation helps move Tahoe protection from paper commitments to practical action. It strengthens the tools partners need to care for the lands that safeguard Lake Tahoe’s clarity and resilience — now and for future generations.
What You Can Do
- Stay informed about legislation that affects Lake Tahoe.
- Support Keep Tahoe Blue’s advocacy efforts to protect Tahoe’s clarity, resilience, and public lands.