In a strongly worded letter sent this week, a coalition of approximately 50 Native American tribes, environmental justice organizations, commercial fishing groups, recreational users, and conservation groups is pressing Gov. Gavin Newsom to stand firm against the Trump administration’s renewed push to raise Shasta Dam.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on March 18, 2026, that it is directing $40 million toward planning and preconstruction activities to raise Shasta Dam, the centerpiece of California’s Central Valley Project. The funding comes from President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, which earmarks $1 billion through 2034 for western water storage and conveyance projects.