Trump Signs Presidential Memorandum Exempting Federal Firefighting, Including Aerial Fire Retardant, From Clean Water Act Permitting Ahead of the 2027 Fire Season
President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum in Washington on November 10 determining that it is in the paramount interest of the United States to exempt federal firefighting activities, including the aerial use, deployment, and discharge of fire retardant, from Clean Water Act permitting. In a fact sheet issued the same day, the White House said the move protects communities at risk from wildfires and ensures immediate action is taken to control fires before they become major natural disasters that destroy thousands of acres of timber and imperil critical water resources and watersheds.
The White House said that under an adverse district court decision, the use of aerial fire retardant in federal wildland firefighting now requires a Clean Water Act permit, and that despite numerous efforts the U.S. Forest Service has been unsuccessful in securing a permit due to significant regulatory hurdles. It said protracted litigation created legal uncertainty and regulatory requirements that have tied the hands of those who risk their lives fighting wildfire under the most difficult conditions.
According to the White House, the Memorandum fulfills the permitting requirements for a year, ensuring the judicious use of aerial fire retardant will protect lives, livelihoods, communities, infrastructure and resources, and prepares the federal government for the upcoming wildland fire season. The White House said wildfire is a serious national threat to the nation's forests and rangelands and that the Forest Service must be equipped to respond to unpredictable and difficult-to-control wildfires.
The White House also listed earlier wildfire actions by President Trump: legislation signed in his first term improving the funding process for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior's wildfire suppression operations, ending a structure that forced agencies to take funds from prevention programs to cover response costs; a March 2025 Executive Order increasing domestic timber production and streamlining forest management to reduce wildfire risks; a March 2025 Executive Order empowering states, localities, and citizens to prepare for incidents such as cyber attacks, wildfire, and weather events, which led to the National Resilience Strategy released in June 2026; a June 2025 Executive Order on wildfire prevention and response; and a January 2026 Executive Order speeding up reconstruction in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon areas after wildfires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses.
(Source: The White House)
Source: The White House
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：白宫北立面全景（北草坪正面）。特朗普11月10日在白宫签署野火抑制总统备忘录。Aaron Zhu 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The White House from the North Lawn. President Trump signed the wildfire suppression presidential memorandum at the White House on November 10. By Aaron Zhu, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
