Santini-Burton Modernization Act of 2026

The Santini-Burton Modernization Act of 2026 would update a 1980 law that authorized federal land purchases around Lake Tahoe to prevent development. The bill would modernize how the Forest Service manages these lands and would allow funds previously restricted to land acquisition to also be used for land management activities like vegetation thinning and wildfire prevention. The bill would also expand the role of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California in land management decisions, recognizing their historic connection to the Lake Tahoe Basin where they currently own less than 0.5% of the land. This would give the tribe greater involvement in decisions about how acquired lands are used and managed.

The bill emerged from multi-year collaboration among Tahoe regional governments, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the Washoe Tribe, nonprofits, and private sector stakeholders. Supporters argue the modernization would enable better forest health management and wildfire prevention on public lands around the lake, while also addressing the tribe's interests in accessing cultural resources. The bill has received a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining but remains in early legislative stages.