The Trump Administration has recently taken a decisive action that has affected the Glen Canyon Dam’s management discussions. This move is part of a broader pattern of postponing or halting federal and scientific meetings, raising questions about its implications.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that the meeting of the Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Work Group was canceled to allow new leadership at the Department of the Interior and Reclamation to be adequately briefed on the group’s objectives. The work group plays a crucial role by advising the Secretary of the Interior on managing the dam in compliance with the Grand Canyon Protection Act of 1992.
According to Matt Rice from American Rivers, the work group’s task is to balance water and hydropower needs with cultural, environmental, and recreational priorities. “And this group is the forum to balance and make management decisions based on all those values, to protect those values. So massively important,” he stated.
Initially funded by hydropower revenues, the program saw a financial shift in 2018 when the Trump Administration redirected those funds to the U.S. Treasury. Currently, its activities rely on Congressional appropriations.
This meeting cancellation aligns with a broader funding freeze, impacting conservation projects along the Colorado River and leading to job cuts at the U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and other federal entities.
Additional reports indicate that similar cancellations have affected meetings at the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and NASA.
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