Oppose/Vote No on Billionaire Boren to Head US Forest Service - Unqualified

Once again, I must write in opposition to the next in a series of Trump nominees: I urge you to oppose Michael Boren's nomination as an Undersecretary to lead the U.S. Forest Service owing to his concerning history of conflicts with the agency. Boren is nothing more than tech billionaire landowner, and campaign donor to Trump who is cashing in on that relationship, and who will do nothing for the agency itself. He might be qualified to run a software business, but not an agency that oversees vast natural resources. He would also oversee the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which helps farmers and ranchers conserve natural resources on their own land. I seriously doubt he understands anything of that kind of business, and in any case, he’s unlikely to help small ranchers and farmers, only land barons like himself. Numerous well-documented reports indicate Boren has clashed with the Forest Service over issues like building a cabin, diverting a stream, and disputes over land management within national forests where he owns property. Given these past disagreements, it raises red flags about his ability to effectively lead and work cooperatively with the Forest Service he would oversee. The agency, as you know, is already facing turmoil with thousands of staff being fired and environmental protections being rolled back. That action of staff reduction, canceling of programs to mitigate fire danger seriously imperils communities near national forests in a time when climactic shifts are changing the length of the fire season, and the behavior of fires in forests themselves. Boren will do nothing to halt these dangers. This Undersecretary’s role demands leadership committed to protecting our national forests, not someone with a track record of butting heads with the agency's mission, and self-serving land ownership. We need responsible, dedicated people in this office with an adherence to science and natural resources management, not exploitation for profit. I vehemently oppose encourage opposing the nomination of Michael Boren and urge you to do the same by voting NO.