TRUMP REVOKES BIDEN-ERA SALMON PROTECTION MEMO, CITING ENERGY AND ECONOMIC CONCERNS

President Donald J. Trump today signed a Presidential Memorandum revoking a 2023 executive action issued by the Biden administration aimed at restoring native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin, including salmon and steelhead. The Biden-era directive, titled “Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin,” emphasized equitable treatment for fish and sought to address long-term ecological and cultural concerns surrounding endangered fish species, climate change, and river system operations in the Pacific Northwest.

The Trump administration’s new directive calls for the withdrawal of federal agencies from commitments made under the previous policy, including a December 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlined collaborative efforts between federal agencies and regional stakeholders. The Department of Energy, Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been directed to coordinate with the Council on Environmental Quality to revise environmental review processes and withdraw from the agreement. Supporters of the Trump memorandum argue that the Biden policy imposed costly and restrictive operational requirements on hydroelectric dams along the Lower Snake River, threatening regional energy production, agricultural irrigation, and transportation. According to the memorandum, full implementation of the MOU could have impacted water availability for farms, removed shipping routes, and led to higher energy costs.

The Lower Snake River dams currently generate over 3,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power—enough to supply approximately 2.5 million homes. Proposals to breach these dams to aid fish recovery have long been a point of contention among environmentalists, Native American tribes, and energy and agricultural stakeholders.

In signing the memorandum, Trump emphasized energy independence and economic stability over what he described as “speculative” environmental concerns. The order is consistent with his broader agenda to reduce federal regulations, promote domestic energy production, and reverse environmental policies enacted by the previous administration.

Critics of the move have voiced concern that revoking the fish restoration efforts could harm long-standing tribal treaty rights, ecological recovery, and salmon-dependent communities across the Pacific Northwest. Proponents, meanwhile, view the decision as a necessary course correction that better balances environmental goals with infrastructure, economic, and energy priorities. The future of dam operations and salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia River Basin remains a significant policy issue as legal challenges, regional negotiations, and scientific assessments continue.