Trump Moves to Protect Energy, Jobs - Halts Biden’s Dam Destruction Push

President Trump has stopped a Biden-era push to remove Snake River dams, pointing to the recent environmental and economic fallout from dam removals in northern California. The damage seen along the Klamath River has raised serious questions about whether environmental activism is doing more harm than good.

Key Facts:

Trump issued a memorandum canceling Biden’s directive to remove four Snake River dams, calling it “radical environmentalism.”
The Klamath River dam removal, completed in 2024, has led to muddy waters, dying fish, and economic losses for local fishing businesses.
Local residents and county officials warned of the negative impacts before removal began but were overruled by state and federal agencies.
Siskiyou County residents voted overwhelmingly against the project, but it moved forward due to higher-level approvals.
Environmental groups continue to push dam removals despite growing evidence of ecological and economic damage.

The Rest of The Story:

President Trump acted to protect Snake River communities by reversing a Biden directive that aimed to remove four dams under the pretense of helping fish.

His memo warned that these removals would “devastate” the region and leave no feasible energy replacement.

The cautionary tale?

Northern California’s Klamath River.

In 2024, four dams on the Klamath were taken out despite fierce local resistance.

The result?

Residents now face murky waters, dead fish, lost tourism income, and farming concerns.

“We’re a rural community… we just didn’t have the funding to fight,” said Richard Marshall of Fort Jones, California.

The project was led by a nonprofit called KRRC and backed by federal and state officials.

Critics say it was rushed, lacked proper environmental review, and ignored local input.

Fishing guide Al Kutzkey lamented, “My business is gone. I can’t fish at all… the water’s been so muddy.”

Thousands of insects vital to fish have disappeared, and signs of ecological breakdown continue to surface.

President Trump’s action to revoke the misguided 2023 Biden memorandum, which quietly laid the groundwork for breaching the Lower Snake River dams, puts a stop to an alarming effort to bypass Congress.

I applaud this decision for standing up and responding to those of us who… pic.twitter.com/dy7eI1lSCd

— Rep. Russ Fulcher (@RepRussFulcher) June 13, 2025

Commentary:

The Snake River dam removal effort was stopped just in time.

The left’s obsession with environmental theatrics nearly guaranteed a repeat of the Klamath catastrophe.

The Klamath project is a disaster dressed up as ecological salvation.

Fishing has collapsed.

Insects are gone.

Even the salmon, the supposed beneficiaries, are dying.

How is this success?

It’s a warning.

Too often, these schemes are pushed by activists with global resources and no skin in the game.

Meanwhile, local farmers and fishermen—real Americans—are left holding the bag.

As Richard Marshall put it, “It was never really about fish. It was just about removing the dams.”

There’s nothing wrong with caring about the environment.

But when ideology trumps reality, nature and people suffer.

These activists claim to speak for wildlife, yet they ignore the wildlife dying before our eyes.

That’s not environmentalism.

That’s destruction.

Trump’s memo isn’t just about dams; it’s about protecting rural America from reckless policy driven by fantasy, not facts.

We should be conserving our resources, not sacrificing them on the altar of eco-theory.

Science should guide policy.

But here, it seems that ideology did.

The Klamath plan dismissed concerns, skipped due diligence, and resulted in widespread harm.

Common sense must return to the conversation.

We don’t need slogans.

We need results.

The dams provided affordable energy, water for agriculture, and stable ecosystems.

Removing them offered nothing but chaos.

It’s time to stop listening to those who wreck lives while chasing green dreams.

Responsible stewardship means balancing human needs with environmental care—something the activists refuse to do.

Now, Congress must act.

President Trump’s order protects the Snake River for now, but future administrations could reverse it with a single stroke of a pen.

That’s no way to govern on issues this important.

Lawmakers need to codify protections and demand real debate—grounded in actual science, transparent data, and what benefits both people and the environment.

Our rural communities deserve that stability.