During my legislative career, my primary focus was always natural resource and water policy. That has not changed as I serve as your Lt. Governor. I have learned that decisions about water require deliberate debate and collaboration, because they shape the very economy and way of life on which we all depend. Working with those who are directly impacted has been crucial for success.

I was, of course, baffled when the US Secretary of HHS, while traveling Idaho to promote President Trump’s “Make American Healthy Again” policy, called for dam removal. President Trump’s position is clear: “Dam breaching would have resulted in reduced water supply to farmers, eliminated several shipping channels, had devastating impacts to agriculture, increased energy costs, and eliminated recreational opportunities throughout the region*.” Any changes to this policy of opposing dam removal would blatantly undermine Idaho’s hard-fought efforts to preserve and protect our water sovereignty.

I have seen firsthand how our sovereignty over water resources lies at the very heart of our state’s identity, our prosperity, and our way of life. Idaho’s waterways are lifelines for our agricultural communities, urban centers and treasured wild landscapes. The decisions we make about our water today will determine the future of our children, our farms and our industries. Idaho’s dams, although often misunderstood, are essential pieces of Idaho’s infrastructure. They provide clean hydroelectric power, support irrigation that feeds millions, facilitate navigation and commerce, and offer vital flood control. Calls to breach these dams ignore their irreplaceable role in sustaining not just our economy but our communities and heritage.

That is why I have been proud to work in alignment with President Trump’s approach: recognizing the strategic, economic and environmental importance of these dams while steadfastly defending Idaho’s sovereignty over our resources. President Trump’s policy to maintain and invest in existing hydropower infrastructure is a pragmatic acknowledgement that our state’s prosperity and resilience depend on a reliable water system.

Protecting Idaho’s water sovereignty means defending local decision-making. It means ensuring that policies affecting our rivers and reservoirs are crafted by those who know Idaho best – Idahoans themselves. For too long, out-of-state interests have pushed for sweeping changes that would devastate our agricultural base and undermine the stability of our energy grid. We cannot cede control of our vital resources to distant bureaucracies or to ideologically-driven lawsuits.

In standing up for the continued operation of our dams, we are standing up for Idaho’s future – preserving jobs, economic opportunity and the independent spirit that makes our state unique. We are demonstrating our determination to keep Idaho water under Idaho control.

As we look ahead, I invite all Idahoans to join me in reaffirming our commitment to water sovereignty and to pragmatic policies that secure our prosperity for generations to come. With determination and unity, we can protect these critical resources that make Idaho great.
*White House Fact Sheet, June 12, 2025