Trump administration’s Snake River dam withdraw stirs reaction

President Trump’s decision to revoke the Biden administration’s actions against the lower Snake River dams is drawing mixed reactions.

The original memorandum of understanding was signed with Washington state, Oregon, and four tribes to boost tribal clean energy and restore salmon populations.
While conservation groups have criticized the move, one lawmaker has called it welcome news.

Congressman Dan Newhouse says that he has been fighting to keep the dams, but there is work to be done in protecting salmon populations.

“I’m sure there will be continued discussions and conversations with the proponents of dam breaching, but the bottom line is, and I’ve said this all along and I’m glad the administration agrees, that we can have the dams but also continue to work very hard on making sure that salmon can not only survive but thrive. And we have some work to do there, no doubt!”

The Columbia River Basin is roughly the size of Texas and was once the world’s largest salmon-producing river system.
Today, twelve of the sixteen original stocks of salmon remain, seven of which are considered endangered.

Related Stories
Canada’s new voluntary Grocery Sector Code of Conduct will take effect on Jan. 1, a goodwill effort to promote fairness and transparency between retailers and support farms that sell directly to stores.
Small, locally focused wineries are finding resilience through direct sales and regional loyalty rather than scale alone.
Pork producers warn that proposed definitions of “ultra-processed” food in guidelines from the “Make America Healthy Again” plan could negatively impact industry-standard bacon, sausage, and feed practices.
Concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease are fueling a long-standing legal battle between Minnesota regulators and deer farmers. The case could soon reach the state’s Supreme Court with broader implications for agriculture.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Public Lands Council (PLC) are praising the passage of a bill to delist gray wolves as an endangered species by the U.S. House last week.
USDA Undersecretary Luke Lindberg told RFD-TV News that we can only guess what Congress will do down the road. Still, the USDA recognizes its responsibility to spend resources efficiently and effectively.