The 2026 Tahoe Summit brought leaders from both sides of the lake to discuss its future.
Serell Smokey, Chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California, highlighted the Meeks Meadow Restoration Project, a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service to remove fire fuels.
It took over 20 years to form that partnership. Work is ongoing until October.
"The health of the land equals the health of the people. and that's why we continue doing what we're doing,” Smokey said.
In 2024, a bipartisan delegation spearheaded the reauthorization of millions of dollars in funding for the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program.
U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto helped champion the bill and said the money will go toward various aspects of the lake's future.
“Smart forest management, sustainability, and then to reduce the fuels,” Cortez Masto said. “We've appropriated those funds. Now we need them to get here, and the administration is holding up."
Both of Nevada's senators, as well as California Senator Alex Padilla and Representatives Kevin Kiley (CA-03, I) and Mark Amodei (NV-02, R), championed the legislation.
"We're going to be working with folks who care about these values, to make sure that we protect access to recreation,” Kiley said.
During the summit, Cortez Masto said the biggest issues surrounding the future of the lake are transportation infrastructure, fire fuels, and the cost of living. She also announced her work to expand housing for working families in Tahoe.
Cortez Masto and Padilla highlighted their support for the Santini-Burton Modernization Act. The legislation would allow existing funds to help keep the lake clear, improve recreation access, and reduce wildfire risk.
“We know all too well how quickly a fire like that can threaten communities, destroy delicate ecosystems, and further change our landscape,” Padilla said.
Wednesday's keynote speaker was Tommy Caldwell, a record-setting rock climber and Tahoe resident.
“Let the story of Lake Tahoe remind the world that while humans have the power to destroy, we also have the power to restore,” he said.
Caldwell biked all the way from where he grew up in Colorado to Alaska. On the way, he rode through the forests of British Columbia and was appalled by what he saw. The forest was getting cut down, and truck traffic and paper mills took over the land.
It reminded him how important it is to preserve the Tahoe National Forest.
“People here could have easily become what I saw in British Columbia,” Caldwell said. “But luckily, there's been enough people to care enough about this place to bring it back. It's because of those people, not despite them."
Politicians at the Tahoe Summit may disagree when it comes to politics, but they all agree we need to preserve Lake Tahoe.
