Trump Signs Presidential Memorandum Exempting Federal Firefighting From Clean Water Act Permitting for One Year
Washington — The White House on November 10 issued a presidential memorandum in which President Donald J. Trump determined that federal firefighting activities, including the aerial use, deployment, and discharge of fire retardants, are exempt from federal, state, interstate, and local Clean Water Act requirements respecting the control and abatement of water pollution. The exemption runs for one year, from November 10, 2026 to November 10, 2027.
The memorandum, issued under section 313 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, finds the exemption to be in the paramount interest of the United States. It covers firefighting by the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, and other executive departments and agencies and their contractors, while leaving the requirements of sections 1316 and 1317 of the Clean Water Act in place. It also states that the exemption does not imply the Forest Service or other agencies would otherwise need water-pollution permits for those operations. The Secretary of Agriculture is directed to publish the determination in the Federal Register.
A White House fact sheet issued the same day said the action followed an adverse district court decision under which aerial fire retardant use in federal wildland firefighting requires a Clean Water Act permit, a permit the Forest Service has been unable to secure despite numerous efforts because of significant regulatory hurdles. The fact sheet said protracted litigation had created legal uncertainty for wildland firefighters, and that the memorandum prepares for the 2027 fire season by ensuring firefighters have the tools needed to protect rural communities and natural resources.
The fact sheet also listed earlier wildfire actions by President Trump, including first-term legislation improving funding for Forest Service and Interior Department suppression operations, a March 2025 executive order increasing domestic timber production and streamlining forest management, a June 2025 executive order on wildfire prevention and response, and a January 2026 executive order speeding reconstruction in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon fire areas.
(Source: The White House)
Source: The White House
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于华盛顿的美国农业部总部大楼，林业局隶属农业部（GSM 固定图库）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters in Washington, D.C.; the Forest Service is part of USDA (GSM asset library).
