Over the last two months, the federal administration has taken several key actions that jeopardize, slow, or call into question funding and policy support for Klamath dam removal and related environmental, agricultural, community and Tribal restoration and resilience projects. Those working in the Klamath Basin are currently assessing how these actions might impact or curtail efforts that have made huge gains in recent years.
A Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity at Risk
HAF+WRCF launched the Klamath River Fund (KRF) in 2023 to help bring philanthropic funding to the communities of the Klamath Basin following the historic removal of four dams along the river. The monumental dam removal project was completed in 2024, and, to community leaders and advocates, it felt like momentum was on their side. Through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the previous administration allocated hundreds of millions in funding that would help Klamath Basin Tribes, ranchers, farmers and conservation groups proceed with plans to restore and revitalize the Klamath River Basin. Alongside these federal resources, the Foundation used the KRF to make strategic investments in organizations like California Trout, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Ridges to Riffles, Save California Salmon, and others who are leading the next phase of restoration the basin. We were preparing for an era that would focus on restoring the ecology, culture, and economies of the vast and vital ecosystem that spans Southern Oregon and Northern California.
Recent actions of the federal administration, however, have thrown this momentum into jeopardy. In a January 21 memorandum, the Office of Management and Budget issued a directive to pause the disbursement of funds from the IRA and the BIL under the heading “Terminating the Green New Deal.” Suddenly, the possibility of grant programs designed to complement dam removal was in question. For example, NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation approved an $18 million grant (funded through the BIL) to a coalition of Tribes and nonprofits to restore key spring-fed tributaries in the former dam reach. Other monies were granted to Upper Basin agricultural organizations to recover from years of severe drought and restore areas such as the Sprague River, a headwater stream of the Klamath, to reduce water pollution, improve irrigation efficiency, and restore fish habitat. Now the future of these funding streams is uncertain, as the current administration reviews whether the congressionally-appropriated dollars are funding projects that align with the administration’s goals.
Additionally, the federal administration and supreme court have begun to erode key policies that have enabled dam removal and begun to guide restoration efforts, such as the Endangered Species Act, regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act, and safeguards to prevent harmful water pollution discharge. Within the Klamath Basin, organizational downscaling and staff layoffs at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and U.S. Forest Service will reduce wildfire prevention and incident response, increase local unemployment, and cut off essential services for Tribal communities. Cuts to fisheries management will affect salmon populations, which are vital to the region’s ecology and livelihoods of those who depend on them. While there are highly capable Tribes, nonprofits, and community members still actively working on the Basin’s restoration, their capacity is limited without the support of the federal government behind them.
How do we stay on Track?
As we process and respond to these changes and the impacts for the Klamath Basin, clear communication and collaboration is essential. Our team members
are on the road each month, traveling to Tribes and communities throughout the basin to build and bolster relationships among those leading the on-going restoration efforts. The Klamath River Fund team continues to support communities and organizations working tirelessly to restore Klamath ecosystems, make commercial agriculture sustainable, and advance community health and healing. We will support the work and the stories that go along with it.
This is a time for our rural communities to work together to ensure the possibilities of this historic project are reached. Now more than ever, community foundations, private philanthropy, and the generosity of local donors are needed to provide steady support and financial resourcing in a time of public funding and policy uncertainty and decline. It is also a time to ensure that policy and public funding investments support this critical work for decades to come. The story of the Klamath Dam removal represents the largest ecological restoration effort in our nation’s history. We’re at a critical juncture in the long-term revitalization of the region, and we can’t let the momentum slow, or let opportunities slip by. This is an incredibly important project not only for our region but for rural America. Let’s continue setting the example for how we take care of each other and the natural environment we all rely on.
Read through more of the 2025 Winter/Spring Newsletter story highlights here: Winter-Spring-2025-Newsletter-Final.pdf