Advocates work to safeguard critical lake, extend the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act

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The lake supports nearly 300 species of birds, mammals, and fish, as well as over a thousand types of plants.

Lake Tahoe is known for its sparkling blue, clear water, and advocates and lawmakers are pushing to ensure it stays that way.

The Sacramento Bee reported that a bipartisan group is working toward securing an extension of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, or LTRA, which was first implemented in 2000 and is set to expire on Sept. 30. 

“Since its previous reauthorization 20 years ago, funds have gone to more than 700 projects in the Tahoe Basin, and waters are the clearest they’ve been in decades. Without these projects it wouldn’t be the same,” said Kevin Kiley, a Republican representative from California.

Legislative efforts to extend the LTRA began last year, when several proposals were introduced to add another 10 years to the lake’s protection.

In 2000, the act allocated $300 million to begin restoring the lake, and a reauthorization in 2016 released another $415 million. 

Now, one proposal by Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto hopes to unlock another $300 million in unused funds for the largest Alpine lake in North America, per the Bee.

Lake Tahoe supports nearly 300 species of birds, mammals, and fish, as well as over a thousand types of plants, according to the California Tahoe Conservancy. 

The LTRA helps protect the local ecosystem that is stressed by a warming planet and extreme weather primarily linked to […]

Full article: www.thecooldown.com