Advertisement Protestors to Obama: 'Climate threatened by TPP actions' Demonstrators hold rally outside Lake Tahoe Summit venue Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Demonstrators gathered Wednesday outside the Lake Tahoe Summit venue to protest the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is also known as the TPP.“(We want) to tell President Obama, ‘Look we supported you. We had your back, but you don’t have our back with the TPP and it can’t go through,’” Tuolumne County resident Elaine Hegen said.Obama believes the free-trade agreement between the U.S. and 11 other countries will deepen economic ties and ultimately foster American-made exports and support local business.However, critics argue it will hurt the economy and give priority to big corporations.“The climate (is) being threatened by the TPP actions, giving corporations law above our own laws, not protecting our climate, (and) about fracking. (Gov.) Jerry Brown wants to frack California,” Tuolumne County demonstrator Janelle Fleitz said. “Water is life and we need to protect our water, our food and our environment.”MORE: Obama, state leaders praise efforts to save Lake TahoeLocal fishing guide John Shearer remembers the first visit from former President Bill Clinton.“They did a great job. We put money at it, but it takes more than just putting money at it,” he said.Shearer acknowledges the growth in development surrounding the lake since 1997, but water quality is still a concern.“A centrifuge or something to clean the water before it comes into Lake Tahoe, so that we don’t have more sediment coming into Lake Tahoe. It’s a big deal,” he said.UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center said the lake had an all-time clarity depth of 102 feet in 1968.During Clinton’s 1997 visit, water clarity measurement reached an all-time low of 64 feet.The most recent water clarity measurement is 78 feet, which was in 2014. Experts are hoping to reach an ultimate goal of 97 feet.“Lake Tahoe is still very, very clean. I still drink the lake water right out of the lake,” Shearer said. “But, we need to keep growing this and making it more beautiful. I still believe it’s the most beautiful place in the world.”The hope is Obama’s visit, which is 20 years after Clinton’s visit, will once again make preservation of Lake Tahoe a national priority.