Latest news with #MichaelBoren
New York Times
a day ago
- Business
- New York Times
Trump's Pick to Run the Forest Service Has a History With the Agency
The Forest Service is an agency with a big purview: It manages almost 200 million acres of public lands across the United States, including maintaining trails, coordinating wildfire response and overseeing the sale of timber and other resources. For an article published Tuesday, I looked into the background of Michael Boren, President Trump's nominee to head the service, who is the founder of a billion-dollar tech company. He is an unusual choice. He was accused of flying a helicopter dangerously close to a crew building a Forest Service trail, prompting officials to seek a restraining order. He got a caution from the Forest Service, and criticism from his neighbors, when he built a private airstrip on his Hell Roaring Ranch in a national recreation area in Idaho. And in the fall, the Forest Service sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing a company that Boren controlled of building an unauthorized cabin on National Forest land. Now, Boren is in line to oversee the very agency he has tussled with repeatedly, and at a tumultuous time. In April, Brooke Rollins, the secretary of agriculture, issued an order removing environmental protections from almost 60 percent of national forests, or more than 112 million acres, mostly in the West. That came after Trump issued an executive order to increase logging on those lands by 25 percent. The Forest Service has also fired thousands of workers as part of Trump's drive to shrink the federal government. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.
Michael Boren, founder of a billion-dollar tech company, Idaho ranch owner and Trump donor, has clashed with the U.S. Forest Service for years. He was accused of flying a helicopter dangerously close to a crew building a Forest Service trail, prompting officials to seek a restraining order. He got a caution from the Forest Service, and criticism from his neighbors, when he built a private airstrip on his Hell Roaring Ranch in a national recreation area. And in the fall, the Forest Service sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing a company that Mr. Boren controlled of building an unauthorized cabin on National Forest land. Now, Mr. Boren is Mr. Trump's nominee to oversee the very agency he has tussled with repeatedly. On Tuesday, the Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to hold a confirmation hearing on Mr. Boren's nomination to be the under secretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, a role that would put him in charge of the Forest Service. If confirmed, he would manage an agency that oversees almost 200 million acres of public lands across the United States, including maintaining trails, coordinating wildfire response and overseeing the sale of timber and other resources. He would also oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps farmers and ranchers conserve natural resources on their own land. Mr. Boren would be leading the Forest Service at a tumultuous time. In April, the secretary of agriculture, Brooke Rollins, issued an order removing environmental protections from almost 60 percent of national forests, or more than 112 million acres, mostly in the West. That came after Mr. Trump issued an executive order to increase logging on those lands by 25 percent. The Forest Service has also fired thousands of workers as part of Mr. Trump's drive to shrink the federal government. Hangar Land before Boren purchase. Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip Hell Roaring Ranch 2014 2016 2024 IDAHO 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 feet Hangar Land before Boren purchase Grass airstrip starts to take shape Fenced-in airstrip 2014 2016 2024 1,000 ft. Source: Airbus DS via Google By Mira Rojanasakul/The New York Times Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
E&E News
3 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
Senate pushes agriculture, cyber, defense nominees
President Donald Trump's nominee to help oversee the Forest Service and other environment work at the Department of Agriculture is due on Capitol Hill this week. The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will hold a hearing on Michael Boren to become undersecretary for natural resources and environment. Boren, from Idaho, is a ranch owner and co-founder of an accounting software company called Clearwater Analytics. He's been a campaign donor to Trump and was a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Advertisement Democrats on the committee may seek clarification on Boren's clashes with the Forest Service over the past several years, including disagreements about a small airstrip on one of his ranches where a scenic easement is in place with the agency.
E&E News
5 days ago
- General
- E&E News
Another clash emerges between USDA nominee and Forest Service
The Trump administration's nominee to oversee forest policy at the Department of Agriculture is facing new scrutiny from the Forest Service, this time for diversion of a geothermal stream to a home on his Idaho ranch. Michael Boren, whose family owns multiple properties, has had longstanding conflicts with the Forest Service over his use of land in and bordering the Sawtooth National Forest, and he and the agency have had extended negotiations to settle them, according to a person closely familiar with many of the details. Boren is the administration's nominee for undersecretary for natural resources and environment, which oversees the Forest Service. His nomination hearing in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee is scheduled for Tuesday. Advertisement The latest dustup involves a Boren property called West Pass Ranch LLC, according to the person familiar with the situation. Details of this person's account match with information a USDA employee and former employees shared with POLITICO's E&E News, all requesting anonymity for fear of retribution.
E&E News
28-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Trump USDA nominee tussles with Forest Service over land use
The Trump administration's nominee to oversee the Forest Service is facing a new dispute over his use of land managed by the agency. Michael Boren, the pick for Agriculture Department undersecretary for natural resources and environment, is clashing with the Forest Service for building a cabin and clearing land in the Sawtooth National Forest near Stanley, Idaho, according to agency correspondence and people familiar with the situation. The work on the property began before Boren was nominated earlier this year to the position, which requires Senate confirmation. But the dispute hasn't been fully resolved, according to people who've discussed the matter with Forest Service officials in the past week. Advertisement Boren's nomination hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. The dispute about the cabin and other work including diverting a stream is the latest issue between Boren and the Forest Service over how he manages land in and around the national forest. It also speaks to broader questions about how the Forest Service deals with communities and neighboring property owners, as well as how the agency handles special-use permits for a variety of activities. Boren's testy relationship with the Forest Service has attracted attention among Senate Democrats, including Ron Wyden of Oregon and Agriculture ranking member Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, and could be a focus of questioning at his hearing. The Democrats' offices didn't have immediate comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) didn't return a message seeking comment. Boren also didn't immediately return messages sent Wednesday by email and through lawyers he's worked with. A former Forest Service employee familiar with some of the details said the agency has tried to work with him to resolve the matter, which involves disagreements about precisely where his corporation's mining claims exist, for instance. According to a warning letter the Forest Service sent to one of Boren's companies, Galena Mines, last Nov. 13, a cabin was built on forest system land without prior authorization and must be removed by July 1, and the land returned to its prior condition. 'We recently discovered a cabin and cleared land around a nearly built structure on National Forest System (NFS) land,' the agency's area ranger, Kirk Flannigan, wrote to Galena Mines, adding that the closest private property to the site is owned by the business. 'The Forest Service has no record of a special use authorization, contract or approved operating plan that would permit the clearing of NFS land and the construction of the cabin in this location,' Flannigan wrote. Therefore, he said, 'the cabin must be removed and the area restored to its natural condition.' The agency gave Galena Mines 45 days — which would have been in January — to submit a restoration plan and until Aug. 1 to complete it. The Forest Service and Agriculture Department didn't immediately respond to a message Wednesday seeking comment and further updates. Among other challenges in the Sawtooth, the forest has become short staffed by agency-wide staffing reductions and recently announced reduced operating hours in some offices. Galena Mines is registered with the Idaho secretary of state's office. Boren was listed as a manager until Feb. 24, when the corporation filed an amendment to remove him as a manager, leaving the title to Amanda Boren. At issue, too, is where certain mining claims are located in the forest, which would indicate where Galena Mines would have access rights. The warning letter indicates that the Forest Service is aware of Galena's nearby mining claims but contends that the cabin is on other, unsurveyed parcels. Boren's selection in mid-January stirred attention in forest policy circles, given his and his brother David Boren's recent history of conflicts with the Forest Service about property rights. David had a disagreement over a trail the Forest Service was building through his ranch near Stanley on an easement. Michael Boren ran into trouble with a small airstrip on his ranch. He had a conditional-use permit from the Forest Service to land small planes, but neighbors complained that he'd already been using the airstrip. In court papers, Boren said he used aircraft occasionally in the management of his ranch. Those conflicts played out in legal fights as well as in local news reports at the time. In nominating Boren, President Donald Trump cited his experience in business as well as his work as a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, and as a volunteer firefighter. A co-founder of Clearwater Analytics, Boren has made a career in financial management and software development. On Feb. 24, Michael and Joan Boren, as trustees of the MJB Revocable Trust, bought a new condominium at The Wharf in Washington for $6 million, according to property records with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. Contact this reporter on Signal at hellmarcman.49.
