He Built an Airstrip on Protected Land. Now He's in Line to Lead the Forest Service.

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Source: NYT

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.

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Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/03/climate/michael-boren-agriculture-nominee-idaho-airstrip.html