President-elect Donald Trump appointed an Idaho businessman to serve as a top official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA.
Trump on Thursday announced Michael Boren, founder of Clearwater Analytics, would serve as under secretary for natural resources and environment at the USDA.
Trump, in a statement, said Boren would “work to reinvigorate Forest Management at a time when it is desperately needed.”
Idaho Gov. Brad Little and U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, both Republicans, praised Trump’s appointment of Boren.
Little, in a statement, called Boren a “a visionary, proven leader.”
“This appointment is a win for all Western states, especially Idaho,” Little said. “As a resident of Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley, Mike understands rural America. He will work hand in hand with President Trump to fundamentally transform how lands and fires are managed here in the West.”
Risch, in a social media post on X, said “Finally, an Idaho voice will be at the table when it comes to forest management.”
“He has also served as a volunteer fireman for Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department, and as a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation,” Trump’s statement said.
Boren has been involved in several lawsuits related to a private airstrip he owns near Stanley, in south central Idaho. In 2023, he appealed a local judge’s dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against four critics of his airstrip, the Idaho Mountain Express reported.
Clearwater Analytics, based in Boise, has about 1,900 employees with offices in eight countries, according to the company’s website.
Kyle Pfannenstiel is a reporter for the Idaho Capital Sun, covering health care and state politics. He previously reported for the Post Register/Report for America, Idaho Education News and the Idaho Press. Kyle is a military brat who calls Idaho home. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from University of Idaho.
