MobileRJ | RSS TwitterTwitter FacebookFacebook E-mail Alerts
Home manage Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue

sponsored by
News
Nov. 04, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

$415 MILLION SOUGHT: Lake Tahoe bill introduced

Funds proposed to ensure water quality, prevent fires, fight invasive species

By SANDRA CHEREB
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY -- Legislation introduced in Congress on Tuesday would expand the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act and authorize $415 million over eight years to combat the worst environmental threats to the Sierra Nevada lake and surrounding basin.

Congressional delegations from Nevada and California submitted companion bills in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Most Popular Stories
  • 'YOU DON'T BLOW A BUNCH OF CASH IN VEGAS ...': Obama remark reopens wound
  • LAUGHLIN EDGEWATER: Two dead in casino car crash
  • NORM: Ad's Strip scenes raised eyebrows
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Shutting down the Ritz
  • Former commander of USS Cole considers run against Reid
  • NORM: $1 million wager on Super Bowl approved
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • Tourist describes chaos as car plows into Laughlin casino, killing two
  • IMAGES FROM 1860S: Photos show historic Nevada
  • Fighter battles rare disease that shatters mixed martial arts dream
  • Flood advisory for Las Vegas Valley




    • Lake Tahoe environmental regulators have outlined $2.5 billion in environmental improvement projects for the next 10 years.

    "Recommitting to restoration efforts at Lake Tahoe is critical to the continued improvement and preservation of this special place," said Allen Biaggi, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and governing board chairman of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

    Congress created the two-state panel in the 1960s to protect Lake Tahoe.

    Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said the latest bill extends a commitment to restore the ecological health of the Tahoe Basin, which straddles the Nevada-California line.

    The first Lake Tahoe Restoration Act went into effect in 2000 and led to a cooperative effort that involved $424 million from the federal government, $612 million from California, $87 million from Nevada, $59 million from local government agencies and $249 million from the private sector through in-kind contributions.

    During the past nine years, the funding had paid for water quality improvements, fuel reduction projects across more than 33,000 acres of forest, and wildlife habitat improvements on nearly 14,000 acres, officials said.

    The bill introduced Tuesday would continue water quality and fire reduction projects, and combat invasive species that could drastically alter the lake's ecosystem and irreversibly cloud its famed clarity.

    Scientists have said invasive quagga and zebra mussels, which attach themselves to boats, could cost the Lake Tahoe economy tens of millions of dollars annually if they were to become established.

    Newsvine Digg Fark Technorati reddit StumbleUpon del.icio.us Slashdot Propeller Mixx Furl Twitter MySpace Facebook Google Bookmarks Yahoo! Bookmarks Windows Live Favorites Ask MyStuff myAOL Favorites

    Leave Your Comment 9 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background.

    zack wrote on November 04, 2009 10:23 PM: I hope this bill fails, what a waste of money. Lake Tahoe is fine except for the all politicans that lined their pockets and allowed development to close to the lake. Want to save lake tahoe and restore it, stop development around the lake. In reality who really gives a crapt about the clarity of the lake, it will never be clear as long as the enviromentalists are clouding the water with there bogus agenda and trying to steal more tax dollars for a BS project. Tell them no Harry or you lose this democrats vote in 2010.


    Josh wrote on November 04, 2009 01:23 PM: Dean Heller providing for his rich campaign contributors...how special!


    Lake Tahoe Tony wrote on November 04, 2009 10:42 AM: THERE IS HOPE!!!
    Common sense prevailed and the SLT City council voted 3/2 to deny actions to stop the new home center from moving into town. Competition will decide whether the locals want to shop at the hardware store, Scotty's, or the new DIY Center. Thank you city council.


    DLE wrote on November 04, 2009 10:28 AM: Such so-called Lake Tahoe environmental improvements has been Happy Harry's $$$ cash cow for decades.
    I guess there are no more worthless cabins in Lake Tahoe that Reid can "swap" between Howard Hughes; Del Webb; onto the BLM!
    How many $$$ Billions of tax money will he squander into his pocket this time???


    ozip wrote on November 04, 2009 10:20 AM: Follow the democrat plan for everything
    Borrow from the Chinese to pay for this essential program, then tax the “rich” to pay the interest. Then blame conservatives when the house of cards comes tumbling down.





    Too_much_government wrote on November 04, 2009 05:57 AM: More pork.


    Lake Tahoe Tony wrote on November 04, 2009 05:50 AM: The government folks in South Lake Tahoe are little emperors. There is currently a company that is trying to open a small home center in a currently unoccupied building. (this is NOT a big box store like Home Depot or Lowe's). The owners of the existing hardware stores and the one lumber yard have got the local government in their back pockets by denying the request, and forcing the new business to PROVE THE NEED for his business. Prove the need? Let a little competition prove the need, and let the best business win. The current businesses are so afraid of competition, it appears they paid off the city council to keep competition out.
    Let's extend that a bit farther, no more motels, restaurants, barber shops, beauty salons etc unless they prove the need for their business. Even better, let's throw out the current batch of SLT politicians unless they prove their need to exist!


    teach172 wrote on November 04, 2009 04:25 AM: Saving Lake Tahoe is a noble thought, but where is the effort and money to help La Vegas secure water for the survival of this city? Without water, there will be NO LAS Vegas by 2025!


    Idea wrote on November 04, 2009 03:50 AM: Here's an idea. How about Mulroy and her SNWA goons build a pipeline from Lake Tahoe to Las Vegas? That's no more brain-dead than her idea to suck the rural counties dry.