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.
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.
