PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT TO HOLD LAKE TAHOE FORUM
                                            Release No. 0184.97
                                                               
                                   Jim Petterson (202) 720-4623

PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT TO HOLD LAKE TAHOE FORUM

Senior Administration Officials to Hold Issue Workshops Prior to    
Presidential Event

     WASHINGTON, June 4, 1997--The White House today announced that
President Clinton and Vice President Gore will visit Lake Tahoe on July 25
and 26 to highlight on-going collaborative efforts to resolve issues facing
the Lake Tahoe Basin and to discuss the challenges associated with
sustaining the environmental and economic health of the lake and its
communities.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the lead federal agency
charged with coordinating the forum and other activities.  

     "Lake Tahoe is a beautiful natural attraction that draws millions of
people each year," said the President.  "We have a shared responsibility to
build on our commitments at all levels to be sure the lake and its environs
are protected.  That is why I believe the collaborative efforts and
partnerships that have emerged in the Lake Tahoe communities are so
essential to its future."

     "The environmental and economic challenges facing the Lake Tahoe Basin
are not unlike those facing many other communities throughout America," said
the Vice President.  "Through public participation and consensus building,
the people of the region have put together a model approach to problem
solving.  That approach needs to be highlighted and encouraged."  
     
     Prior to the July 25 and 26 events, senior Administration officials
will host three issue workshops to consider critical issues and highlight
partnerships that have evolved from collaborative efforts in the Lake Tahoe
area.  The three issue workshops include:  Water Quality, June 18 at the
Tallac Historic site at Lake Tahoe; Forest Ecosystem Restoration, Recreation
and Tourism, June 30, at the Hyatt Hotel, Incline Village; and
Transportation, July 2, at the University of Nevada at Reno in Reno, Nevada. 
Recreation and tourism issues will be discussed at each workshop.

     The Lake Tahoe Basin Steering Committee, a broad-based local
cooperative group, hosted two community forums on May 27 and 28 to
facilitate community input into the issue workshops.  

     Administration officials scheduled to attend the Lake Tahoe events
include:  Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, Secretary of Interior Bruce
Babbitt, Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater, EPA Administrator Carol
Browner, and Assistant Secretary of the Army Martin Lancaster.

     For more information about the forum or issue workshops contact the
Tahoe Coordination Center at 1-888-823-4925 or 916-542-7900.
                                
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