Latest news with #SawtoothNationalForest
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.
