Since the Presidential Forum in 1997, the annual Lake Tahoe Summit has become an important yearly gathering of federal, state, and local leaders dedicated to the goal of restoring and sustaining Lake Tahoe as one of our most precious environmental treasures. This year, the Keynote Speaker was President Barack Obama... AND WE GOT TICKETS.

At the first Summit in 1997, President Bill Clinton – joined by Senator Reid as well as other key leaders from Nevada and California – jumpstarted a two-decades-long, successful partnership to restore Lake Tahoe’s legendary water quality, and strengthen the region’s economy for future generations. Today was a continuation of that admirable goal and we were beyond excited to be a part of it all.




It was a who's who of Honorables... including Senator Barbara Boxer, Governor Jerry Brown and Senator Dianne Feinstein, the Master of Ceremonies. It was hosted by Senator Harry Reid. Wow, right.
Brown said something, regarding the need to help the Lake, that I really appreciated, "Beauty transcends politics."

At Lake Tahoe Summit, Obama Administration Underscores the Importance of Strong Partnerships and Innovation in Tackling our Shared Climate and Conservation Challenges.

In keeping with the unique history of collaborative and innovative conservation efforts that have surrounded the Lake Tahoe region for more than two decades, today’s announcements include a series of commitments to build upon the successful conservation legacy at Lake Tahoe, boost innovative approaches to conservation, and address threats to vulnerable communities at another of the region’s key water bodies, the Salton Sea.

This was history in the making and we were a part of it all. This was the first time we had ever been in the presence of a President and it was almost surreal.
After the President spoke, we stayed for a concert by the awesome band, The Killers. It will be in a separate blog post... they were so great, they deserve their own write up. This video shows a very fun side of Obama that we really enjoyed. What an incredible, unforgettable day.