"Lake Tahoe is a place of tranquil beauty," said Norton. "The restoration efforts at Lake Tahoe will not only benefit the residents and visitors to Nevada, but will also benefit neighboring California.

Among the 230 projects being approved today, 50 projects will fund Lake Tahoe restoration efforts. The Incline Lake property at Lake Tahoe is among the eight land acquisitions approved. This important acquisition will provide vast cultural, natural, resource and recreational values, as well as a key opportunity to achieve better management of public land by consolidating federal ownership. Incline Lake is the source of approximately 25 percent of the watershed area for Third Creek, a significant source of water for Lake Tahoe.

The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is authorized under SNPLMA to sell public lands, within a specific area in the Las Vegas Valley, through public auctions twice a year. Funds collected through the sale of these lands remain in the state of Nevada and are used for the creation of parks, trails, and natural areas; capital improvements; acquisition of environmentally sensitive land; the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan projects; and Lake Tahoe restoration projects. Additionally, 15 percent of the revenue goes to the Nevada General Education fund (5 percent) and the Southern Nevada Water Authority (10 percent).