ARLINGTON, Va., June 13, 2025 — The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) today commended President Donald Trump and his administration for taking decisive action to preserve the Lower Snake River dams, which are a key component of the Pacific Northwest’s transportation and energy infrastructure.
In a presidential memorandum signed June 12, President Trump directed federal agencies to withdraw from agreements made during the Biden administration that would have advanced the potential breaching of four Eastern Washington dams – Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite – as part of a salmon recovery plan.
“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.”
NGFA has long maintained that the Lower Snake River dams are vital to the competitiveness of American agriculture. 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.
“Hydropower, irrigation access, and river transport are part of what makes American agriculture globally competitive,” Seyfert said. “Farmers, grain handlers, and exporters across the region, and the nation, depend on this infrastructure every day.”
NGFA believes the Trump administration’s action ensures that federal policy will continue to support balanced, science-based salmon recovery efforts without undermining the nation’s food and energy security and export competitiveness.
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