Cortez Masto Calls on the Biden Administration to Address Staffing Issues at Lake Tahoe

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined her colleagues Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack urging the Biden Administration to reestablish the Lake Tahoe Basin Federal Advisory Committee (LTBFAC) and raising concerns about recruiting and retaining senior leadership at the U.S. Forest Service for Lake Tahoe. The LTBFAC, which expired in 2017, played a vital role in developing consensus for Tahoe-related funding from the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act.

“For nearly 50 years, LTBMU has seen a number of transformative Forest Supervisors at its helm. However, the increased attrition rate of LTBMU senior leadership is concerning,” the senators wrote. “We would like to work with you and the Service to explore opportunities to maintain the unique role and stature of the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, including making Forest Service positions more attractive for future applicants looking to take on and stay in these important roles for the long term.”

The letter can be found here.

Senator Cortez Masto has long fought to protect Lake Tahoe and its surrounding areas. She introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, which helped deliver millions in funding for environmental protection and habitat restoration programs. She has called for a comprehensive, collaborative, and science-based approach to protecting Lake Tahoe and other water resources in Nevada from the threat of climate change and invasive species and has secured authorization to create an Invasive Species in Alpine Lakes Pilot Program to eradicate dangerous aquatic invasive species and protect lakes like Lake Tahoe. Senator Cortez Masto voted in favor of the historic Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law and provides robust funding to repair and maintain public lands across the country. 

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