Last week a bipartisan group of congressmen introduced a bill (Senate Bill 1583) to extend the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act. The original bill was passed in 2000 and authorized $300 million for the restoration of the lake and surrounding basin. The current authorization, which was passed in 2016, will expire in 2024 has brought an additional $415 million into the basin.

California senators Diane Feinstein and Alex Padilla joined Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez-Mastro of Nevada in introducing the bill. Members of the House of Representatives, Mark Amodei, Dina Titus, Susie Lee and Steven Horsford of Nevada and John Garamendi of California joined them. Noticeably missing was the support of Congressman Tom McClintock who is the congressional representative of the Tahoe Basin in California.

“We’ve made tremendous progress in restoring Lake Tahoe since President Clinton’s visit in 1997 for the first Lake Tahoe Summit. Unfortunately, climate change is magnifying the threats facing Lake Tahoe, including warming lake temperatures, declining clarity, thriving invasive species and more dangerous wildfires,” said Senator Feinstein. “We have a responsibility to protect this magnificent lake. Reauthorizing the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act is a big part of that effort, ensuring that the federal government remains an active partner in preserving the lake and surrounding basin.”

This bill is supported by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Tahoe Chamber of Commerce. The money brought into the community has been used for erosion control, hazardous fuels treatment, restoring wildfire acreage, transportation improvements, restoring stream environmental zones, combating invasive species and shoreline restoration.

Where has Tom McClintock been during the past week? He’s been sighted on the Mexican border and on Fox News.

Tom, do your job. Support your community.

Susan Chandler is chairperson of the South Lake Tahoe Democratic Club