Trump revokes Snake River dam agreement

On June 12, President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum revoking an executive action issued by the prior administration titled “Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin.”

The White House said the previous agreement “placed concerns about climate change above the nation’s interests in reliable energy resources.” A White House “Fact Sheet” was titled, “President Donald J. Trump Stops the Green Agenda in the Columbia River Basin.”

The memorandum directs the secretary of energy, the secretary of the interior, the secretary of commerce, and the assistant secretary of the Army for Civil Works to withdraw from the Dec. 14, 2023, memorandum of understanding filed in connection with related litigation over four dams in the lower Snake-Columbia river system—Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite.

“The specified agencies will coordinate with the Council on Environmental Quality to review and revise environmental review processes related to the matters in the MOU, save federal funds, and withdraw from the MOU,” the new memo said.

The breaching of those four dams has been championed by Indian tribes, environmentalists and some politicians of both parties for years as a way to restore salmon runs. Salmon populations are facing a variety of threats and have been declining, but there is disagreement over the extent to which the dams are responsible.

The Biden administration’s agreement with environmental groups and four tribes with treaty-guaranteed salmon-fishing rights–the Nez Perce, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Yakama Nation and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation—did not authorize removal of the four dams; that would require action by Congress. Instead, it paused litigation over the dams, pledged $1 billion to develop energy sources to replace the hydropower the dams provide, and laid out a pathway for dam removal at a later date if Congress were to authorize it.

That outcome seems remote now, as the Trump administration prioritizes energy development over Biden-era environmental policies it says penalized energy development and economic growth. “Dam breaching would have resulted in reduced water supply to farmers, eliminated several shipping channels, had devastating impacts to agriculture, increased energy costs, and eliminated recreational opportunities throughout the region,” the White House said.

Ports, ag groups praise decision

Ag groups immediately praised the decision. The Columbia/Snake River system is the main export pathway for wheat grown in the Pacific Northwest, and growers there have long opposed any plans to take down any of the 24 dams that regulate the rivers and allow navigation on them.

“We appreciate the efforts of the Trump administration to ensure that the dams stay intact while protecting the integrity of the river system and salmon populations. Washington’s wheat industry relies on the continued operation of dams along the Columbia-Snake River system,” said Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers. “The actions taken through this announcement reflect an understanding not only of the needs of family farms and ranchers, but the totality of the regional economy.”

The National Grain and Feed Association also commended Trump’s announcement.

“We applaud the Trump administration’s leadership in rescinding the 2023 directives and recognizing the fact that these dams are critical to transporting U.S. grain and oilseeds to global markets,” said NGFA president and CEO Mike Seyfert. “One barge tow moves the equivalent of 140 rail cars or 538 trucks – infrastructure that cannot be easily replaced. Breaching the dams would have caused a ripple effect throughout the U.S. agricultural value chain, and a significantly negative impact on U.S. exports and the rural economy… In addition to enabling navigation for more than 10 percent of U.S. wheat exports, the dams provide affordable, renewable electricity and support irrigation for farmers on thousands of acres of productive farmland.”

The Inland Ports and Navigation Group wrote, “President Trump’s decision to rescind the MOU is a significant step toward ensuring the continued prosperity of the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia Snake River system is a critical transportation route for the region, as well as for agriculture producers in the upper Midwest, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the economy each year. It is the largest wheat export gateway in the U.S.”

“Dams and salmon can co-exist,” said IPNG Co-Chair Patrick Harbison, of the Port of Kalama, Washington. “In fact, salmon runs have actually increased since the construction of the dams due to state-of-the-art bypass systems and fish ladders that were installed at each of the dams on the system.”

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (of which IPNG is a part) Executive Director Neil Maunu said, “The divisive issue of dam breaching has prevented the type of partnerships necessary to work together on productive strategies and actions to improve salmon populations for the benefit of all Pacific Northwest residents.”

IPNG supports a comprehensive approach to salmon recovery in the region that focuses on projects that truly benefit salmon, such as reintroduction above Grand Coulee, habitat access and restoration, predator abatement, toxics reduction, and hatchery improvements.

“We can have salmon and a robust economy at the same time,” Maunu said.

Green groups vow more lawsuits

In response to the executive action, environmental groups vowed to resume lawsuits that were halted by the Biden policy.

Senior attorney Amanda Goodin of Earthjustice, which provides attorneys that spearhead environmental lawsuits, said, “Unfortunately, this short-sighted decision to renege on this important agreement is just the latest in a series of anti-government and anti-science actions coming from the Trump administration. This administration may be giving up on our salmon, but we will keep fighting to prevent extinction and realize win-win solutions for the region.”

David Murray can be reached at [email protected].