President Obama to headline 2016 Lake Tahoe Summit at South Shore

STATELINE, Nev. — The White House on Monday announced that President Barack Obama will travel to Lake Tahoe on Aug. 31 to speak about his commitment to protecting the environment and addressing climate change.

Obama will headline the 20th annual Lake Tahoe Summit, which this year is hosted by Nevada Sen. Harry Reid.

On Monday, White House Spokesman Eric Schultz said Obama will talk about how America can ensure that national treasures like Lake Tahoe can be protected for future generations.

Celebrating its 20th year, the annual summit — the first edition of which was attended by then-President Bill Clinton in 1997 — 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.

Clinton returned to the summit in 2007 at Incline Village’s Sierra Nevada College to mark its 10th anniversary.

Former Vice President Al Gore, who also attended the inaugural summit, returned to keynote the 2013 version at Sand Harbor State Park.

At the first summit in 1997, Clinton and Gore unveiled a sweeping plan to protect Lake Tahoe and the basin. It included efforts to restore the lake’s steadily declining water clarity, and to reduce the risk of fire by thinning forests of dangerous fuels such as shrubs and dead trees.

This year’s summit, taking place at Harveys Outdoor Arena in Stateline, is being coordinated by the nonprofit Tahoe Fund and will also feature a concert by rock band The Killers.

Doors open for the Aug. 31 summit at noon, with the program beginning at 2 p.m. According to Ticketmaster, The Killers concert also is scheduled for 2 p.m.

For any questions related to registration, email TahoeSummit@reid.senate.gov.

If you are interested in sponsoring the summit, email the Tahoe fund’s Amy Berry at aberry@tahoefund.org.